80s boy names: Far out monikers from a rad decade

80s boy names bring back vibrant memories of the fun zeitgeist back in the radical 1980s decade. Names may include choices like Maverick, neon, fresh, awesome, brisk, Chase, Ridge, Van, or Asher. The 80s style blurred gender norms and neutral names can also work well like Skyler, Dakota, or Ripley. Staying power and innovation is built into these unforgettable names inspired by the dynamic 80s spirit of originality.

Michael: From the Hebrew name מִיכָאֵל (Mikha'el) meaning "who is like God?". Michael was the most popular boy's name through much of the 1980s. It has been commonly used in honor of the archangel Michael, the leader of the heavenly host.

Christopher: From the Late Greek name Χριστόφορος (Christophoros) meaning "bearing Christ". It was the second most popular boys name for much of the 1980s after enjoying increasing popularity since the 1950s. The legendary Saint Christopher was an early 3rd century martyr who is said to have carried a child, who was unknown to him, across a river before the child revealed himself as Christ.

David: From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawid), derived from Hebrew דוד (dood) meaning "beloved". It has been a popular name throughout the 20th century. David was the second and greatest of the kings of Israel in the 10th century BCE. He is well known as the victorious slayer of the giant Goliath.

James: From the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov. It means "supplanter" as Jacob grabbed his twin brother Esau's heel at birth. James was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.

John: From the Latin Johannes, which was derived from the Greek Ἰωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "YAHWEH is gracious". John has persistently been one of the most popular names since the Middle Ages in Europe. John the Baptist was a preacher and religious figure in the early 1st century AD who baptized Jesus.

Robert: Means "bright fame", derived from the Germanic elements hrod "fame" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to Britain, where it replaced the Old English cognate Hreodbeorht. It has been a very frequently used given name across Europe since the Middle Ages. Robert the Bruce re-established Scottish independence from England in the 14th century.

Matthew: From the Hebrew name מַתִּתְיָהוּ (Mattityahu) Gift of YAHWEH, meaning "gift of God". Matthew was one of the twelve apostles of Jesus. His Gospel, the first book of the New Testament, may have been written around 80–90 AD. The name was popular during the Middle Ages throughout Europe.

Joshua: From the Hebrew name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshu'a) meaning "YAHWEH is deliverance". In the Old Testament, Joshua was the successor to Moses as leader of the Israelites. After long use by Jews, the name was adopted by Christians in the Middle Ages. It was rare until the Protestant Reformation then became hugely popular in English-speaking countries.

Daniel: From the Hebrew name דָּנִיֵּאל (Daniyyel) meaning "God is my judge". Daniel was a Hebrew prophet whose story is told in the Book of Daniel in the Old Testament. He lived during the Jewish captivity in Babylon and served in the court of the king. His popularity through the 20th century in America owed much to the fame of Daniel Boone (1734-1820).

Joseph: From the Hebrew name יוֹסֵף (Yosef) meaning "YAHWEH will add". Joseph was an important biblical figure in Genesis, whose story of being sold into slavery by his brothers was so inspirational it became a common motif in literature. With widespread use across Europe, the name's popularity grew further in the English-speaking world after the Protestant Reformation.

Eric: Derived from the Old Norse name Eiríkr. A famous bearer was Eiríkr inn Rauda (Eric the Red), the 10th-century Viking explorer who colonized Greenland. It first gained popularity in Britain during the Viking occupation and again in the 19th century. It became more common in America during the first half of the 20th century.

Brandon: Derived from a surname which was derived from the Old English for "hill covered with broom" (brand + denu). It came into use as a rare given name in the early 20th century but became very popular in America in the 1960s through the actor Brandon deWilde (1942-1972).

Andrew: From the Greek name Ανδρεας (Andreas), derived from ανηρ (aner) "man" combined with ανδρος (andros) "of a man, manly"; the biblical Andrew was one of the twelve apostles and the brother of Peter. Popular across Europe since the Middle Ages, it saw increased use in America after St Andrew became the patron saint of Scotland in the 14th century.

Richard: Means "brave ruler", derived from the Germanic elements ric "power, rule" and hard "brave, hardy". The Normans brought this name to England. It has been very common there since that time. Famous bearers include two kings with the name—Richard the Lionheart and Richard III of England.

Steven: Variant of Stephen, from the Greek name Στεφανος (Stephanos) meaning "crown, garland". Saint Stephen was a deacon in Jerusalem who aroused the enmity of certain Jews; he was stoned to death in 36 AD and later regarded as the first Christian martyr. Due to the saint's popularity, the name was common throughout the Christian world during the Middle Ages.

Kenneth: Anglicized form of both Coinneach and Cináed. These were respectively the Scots Gaelic and Irish forms of the Old Gaelic name Cainnech. It is composed of the element cain "handsome; fair" combined with a diminutive suffix. The meaning is "handsome one; fair one". During the 20th century Kenneth became a very common name across Britain and America.

Jason: From the Greek name Ιασων (Iason), which was derived from the word ιασθαι (iasthai) meaning "to heal". In Greek mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After Pelias overthrew his father Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. Jason's wife Medea helped him gain the fleece and the throne, but later Jason spurned her, prompting Medea to murder their children.

Jeffrey: From a medieval variant of Geoffrey, an Old French form of a Germanic name meaning "district, region + peace". Geoffrey Chaucer wrote one of the greatest works of English literature, The Canterbury Tales. Jeffrey did not become common as an English name until the 20th century. A famous bearer is American actor Jeff Bridges (1949-).

Jeremy: From the Hebrew name יִרְמְיָה (Yirmiyahu) derived from ירה (yarah) "to throw" combined with a form of יה (yah) "YHWH". Jeremiah was one of the prophets of the Old Testament. He was the author of the Book of Jeremiah and is also credited with the Book of Lamentations. Despite the fame of his biblical namesake, the name Jeremiah did not become common until the end of the 20th century.

Scott: From a Scottish surname that meant "a person from Scotland" in Middle English. The surname is derived from the Old English word Scotte, which designated a person from Gaelic-speaking Scotland. Queen Elizabeth II met her husband Prince Philip at Gordonstoun School, where he was known as Philip Scott. The name Scott is strongly associated with Scotland and came into more widespread use as a given name during the 20th century.

Kevin: Anglicized form of the Irish name Caoimhín, derived from the older Irish Cóemgein, composed of the Old Irish elements cóem "kind, gentle, handsome" and gein "birth". Saint Caoimhghin established a monastery in Glendalough, Ireland in the 6th century and is the patron saint of the city of Dublin. It became popular in Ireland at the time and was revived in the 20th century.

Brian: From the Irish name Brion, which is of obscure meaning, possibly derived from Irish brigh "valor" or brígh "strength". Saint Brion (also known as Brian) was a 6th-century Irish bishop. It became a common name in Ireland after the Dark Ages and was revived in the early 20th century during Ireland's independence struggle.

Aaron: From the Hebrew name אַהֲרֹן ('Aharon) which is most likely of unknown Egyptian origin. Aaron was the older brother of Moses in the Old Testament. After the Exodus, he served as high priest of the Hebrew people. He once stood with Moses to defend Israel against an invasion by neighboring tribes and God split open the earth to swallow up their attackers. His popularity in America owes much to the fame of baseball player Hank Aaron (1934-2021).

Keith: From the Gaelic surname Keith, which comes from Gaelic caoch meaning “from the forest”. The Clan Keith were involved in the rebellion of the Earl of Mar in 1715 and many were forced to emigrate to America, where the name Keith was popular in the 20th century perhaps in part due to associations with the actor Buster Keaton (1895-1966).

Sean: From Irish Seán, a cognate of John. St Seán was one of the early Christian missionaries in Ireland. It was rare as an American given name before the 1960s, but became popular towards the end of the 20th century due to migration from Ireland.

Walter: From a Germanic name meaning "ruler of the army", composed of the elements wald "rule" and hari "army". The Normans brought it to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Wealdhere. The name's popularity in America owes much to pioneer settler Walter Raleigh (1552-1618), who attempted to establish a colony off Roanoke Island in 1584.

Patrick: From the Latin name Patricius, meaning "nobleman". Saint Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland. Known as the "Apostle of Ireland", legend credits Patrick with banishing snakes from the island. The name has been very common in western Europe since the Middle Ages.

Edward: Means "rich guard", derived from the Old English elements ead "wealth, fortune" and weard "guard". This was the name of several Anglo-Saxon kings of England, most notably Edward the Confessor shortly before the Norman conquest. The popularity of the name was boosted again in the 19th century by the fame of Edward VII who reigned 1901 to 1910.

Gregory: From the Late Greek name Γρηγοριος (Gregorios) derived from γρηγορος (grēgoros) meaning "watchful, alert". Gregory the Great was a 6th-century pope of the Catholic Church. He sent missionaries including Augustine of Canterbury into England to convert the Anglo-Saxons, who then re-introduced the name to Great Britain in the Middle Ages.

Samuel: From the Hebrew name שְׁמוּאֵל (Shemu'el) which could mean either "name of God" or "God has heard". Samuel was the last of the ruling judges in the Old Testament. He anointed Saul to be the first king of Israel, and later anointed David. The prophet Samuel is regarded as the author of the Book of Samuel and also the Book of Ruth in the Old Testament. The name has been very popular across Europe and America.

Benjamin: From the Hebrew name בִּנְיָמִין (Binyamin) which means "son of the south" or "son of the right hand". Benjamin in the Old Testament is the twelfth and youngest son of Jacob and the founder of one of the southern tribes of the Hebrews. He was originally named Benoni, meaning "son of my mourning", by his mother Rachel before she died in childbirth, but it was later changed by his father.