Most Popular Baby Names of the '90s

Before Olivia, Sophia, Liam, and Henry arrived on the scene, classrooms were full of Michaels, Joshuas, Jessicas, and Sarahs—AKA some of the most popular baby names of the 1990s. If you’re of a certain age (cough cough, millennial), these names will probably sound pretty familiar to you; maybe your name is on the list, or that of your partner, your sibling, or your childhood bestie.

Looking back, '90s names feel pretty classic, with timeless monikers like Christopher, Matthew, Emily, and Elizabeth topping the list. Some names have faded in popularity over the years, while others are forever favorites that continue to trend today. But just like the fashion trends of the era are popping up at pretty much every store on earth, the big names of the ‘90s could be due for a revival sooner rather than later.

So grab your Gak, a stack of Pogs, your beloved Furby, and your favorite JNCO jeans and let’s take a trip down memory lane with the biggest baby names of the ‘90s, including the top 20 names for both boys and girls. 

Popular '90s Names for Boys

Michael

Michael was the reigning champion of boys’ names in the 1990s, but it’s been a mainstay for decades. It’s basically the definition of timeless.

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Gift from God
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Micheal, Mike, Mykal, Mikel
• Famous Namesakes: Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Michael Caine, Michael J. Fox
• Peak Popularity: 1998
• Fun Fact: Save for the year 1960, Michael was the number-one name for baby boys from 1954 to 1998.

Christopher

The name Christopher is was so popular. If you went to elementary school in the ‘90s, chances are you had a few Chrises in your class who had to go by their first name and first letter of their last name.

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Bearer of Christ
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Kristofer, Kristoffer, Cristofer, Chris
• Famous Namesakes: Christopher Plummer, Christopher Meloni, Christopher Walken, the Chrises 
• Peak Popularity: 1994

Matthew

Another timeless fave, Matthew’s popularity in the ‘90s was basically unmatched — and is probably why you work with or are friends with a whole lotta Matts today.

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Gift from God
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Mathew, Matt
• Famous Namesakes: Matthew McConaughey, Matthew Broderick, Matthew Perry, Matt Damon, Matt LeBlanc
• Peak Popularity: 1996

Joshua

Joshua, more specifically the nickname "Josh" just feels like a ‘90s name, doesn’t it? Makes me want to pop open a cold bottle of Snapple and catch up on All That.

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: God is deliverance
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Josh
• Famous Namesakes: Josh Groban, Josh Brolin, Josh Duhamel, JC Chasez
• Peak Popularity: 2006

Jacob

The ‘90s were all about simple, easily shortened names for boys. Chances are you probably have a few Jakes in your phone contact list.

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Supplanter 
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jakob, Jake
• Famous Namesakes: Jakob Dylan, Jacob Elordi, Jacob Tremblay, Jake Gyllenhaal
• Peak Popularity: 2012
• Fun Fact: Jacob was the number-one name for baby boys from 1999 to 2012. 

Nicholas

A very famous Nicholas—Nick Carter—was one of the biggest stars of the ‘90s as “the cute one” in the Backstreet Boys.

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Victory of the people
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Nickolas, Nikolas, Nicolas 
• Famous Namesakes: Nicolas Cage, Nick Jonas, Nick Carter, Nicholas Galitzine
• Peak Popularity: 1999

Andrew

Maybe they went by Andy, or perhaps shortened it to Drew. Either way, Andrew was a big fave for boys.

• Origin: Greek
• Meaning: Strong, manly
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Andy, Drew
• Famous Namesakes: Andrew Garfield, Andrew Lloyd Webber
• Peak Popularity: 2003

Daniel

Dans and Daniels abounded in the 1990s, though the name Daniel is a popular pick regardless of trends.

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: God is my judge
• Famous Namesakes: Daniel Radcliffe, Daniel Craig, Daniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Tiger
• Peak Popularity: 2008

Tyler

Another name that really reflects the laid-back vibe of the decade is Tyler, which peaked in 1994.

• Origin: French
• Meaning: Tile maker 
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ty, Tylar 
• Famous Namesakes: Tyler the Creator, Tyler Perry
• Peak Popularity: 1994

Joseph

When I think of the name Joseph, I think of Joey Lawrence and his signature “Whoa!” catchphrase on Blossom, don’t you?

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: He will add 
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Josef, Jozef, Joe, Joey
• Famous Namesakes: Joseph Gordon Levitt, Joe Jonas, Joey Lawrence
• Peak Popularity: 1917

More '90s Names for Boys

• Brandon: Brandon is another name that really has a ‘90s feeling, probably because it was the eleventh most popular pick of the decade.
• David: Another longtime classic, David was the twelfth biggest name of the ‘90s. 
• James: James can be tweaked to Jim or Jimmy, but in the ‘90s, we were all about Jamie as a nickname.
• Ryan: Ryan has a sportiness to it that would feel right at home in ‘90s sports movies like The Mighty Ducks and The Sandlot.
• John: Is there ever a time when the name John isn’t in the top 20 boy names? Certainly not in the ‘90s! 
• Zachary: Does any boy’s name feel more ‘90s than Zachary? It pairs well with a can of Surge and a Pizza Hut Stuffed Crust pizza.
• Justin: As in Timberlake, one of the kings of pop in the late ‘90s. Right?
• William: Today it’s Liam, but in the ‘90s, Will and William was the big name for boys.
• Anthony: You could go by Anthony or Tony, but no matter what you chose, you were on trend. 
• Robert: Whether you went by Bobby, Robbie, or Rob, Robert was a fave; the name cracked the top 20 names of the ‘90s.

Popular '90s Names for Girls

Jessica

There's no doubt about it: Jessica held onto the crown throughout the ‘80s and ‘90s.

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Vision, sight
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Jessikah, Jessika, Jessie, Jess
• Famous Namesakes: Jessica Lange, Jessica Alba, Jessica Chastain
• Peak Popularity: 1995
• Fun Fact: Sweet Valley High’s twins were named Jessica and Elizabeth, making them the perfect heroines of the ‘80s and ‘90s.

Ashley

Ashley was another popular pick in both the ‘80s and the ‘90s, with Ashley Olsen being the icon of the decade for an entire generation.

• Origin: Old English
• Meaning: Dweller, near the ash tree meadow
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Ashlie, Ashlee, Ashly 
• Famous Namesakes: Ashley Olsen, Ashley Tisdale, Ashley Benson, Ashley Judd
• Peak Popularity: 1992

Emily

Emily was the number-one baby name for girls from 1996 to 2007 and is still majorly popular today. What a run! 

• Origin: Roman
• Meaning: Rival, eager
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Emilie, Emma
• Famous Namesakes: Emily Blunt, Emily Ratajkowski, Emma Stone (real name: Emily!)
• Peak Popularity: 2007

Sarah

Classic, timeless, simple — Sarah checks all the boxes of a ‘90s name.

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Princess
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Sara
• Famous Namesakes: Sarah Jessica Parker, Sarah Paulson, Sara Ramirez, Sarah McLachlan 
• Peak Popularity: 1993
• Fun Fact: Sarah was ranked at #94 in 2022. It hasn't left the top 100 names list since 1900, except for a brief period from 1954-1961.

Samantha

If you think of the American Girl doll when you hear the name Samantha, you may be a ‘90s kid.

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Name of God, God has heard
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Sam
• Famous Namesakes: Samantha from Bewitched, Samantha from Sex and the City 
• Peak Popularity: 1998

Amanda

Whether they went by Amanda or Mandy/Mandi, Amanda was a popular pick for ‘90s girls.

• Origin: Latin
• Meaning: Loveable
• Famous Namesakes: Amanda Seyfried, Amanda Bynes
• Peak Popularity: 1980

Brittany

When you think “Brittany” and “‘90s,” you probably think of one Britney Jean Spears, who released her first single in 1998.

• Origin: Celtic
• Meaning: From Britain
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Britney, Brittani, Brittney
• Famous Namesakes: Britney Spears, Brittany Snow, Brittany Spencer 
• Peak Popularity: 1991
• Fun Fact: Brittany has seen a pretty big dip in popularity over the years; in 2022, it was ranked at #848.

Elizabeth

The name Elizabeth has been a queen bee for more than a century. It hasn’t left the top 20 since 1960.

• Origin: Hebrew
• Meaning: Oath of God
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Liz, Betsy, Beth, Eliza, Elisabeth 
• Famous Namesakes: Elizabeth Taylor, Queen Elizabeth, Elizabeth Olsen
• Peak Popularity: 1905

Taylor

Taylor Swift narrowly missed being born in the ‘90s; she was born in December 1989. However, her name was right on track, popularity-wise.

• Origin: French
• Meaning: To tailor
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Tayler, Taylar 
• Famous Namesakes: Taylor Swift, Taylor Hanson
• Peak Popularity: 1996

Megan

It’s kind of a surprise one of the Babysitter’s Club characters wasn’t named Megan; doesn’t it feel so right for the time period?

• Origin: Welsh
• Meaning: Pearl
• Alternative Spellings & Variations: Meghan, Meagan, Megyn, Meghann, Megann, Meg
• Famous Namesakes: Meghan Markle, Megan Thee Stallion
• Peak Popularity: 1994

More '90s Names for Girls

Kayla: “K” names were super popular in the ‘90s, with Kayla being one of the most frequently used.

Lauren: Chances are you probably went to high school or college with a legion of people named Lauren, another top 20 name.

Stephanie: Potentially inspired by Stephanie Tanner, another major ‘90s TV icon? 

Jennifer: Jennifer had a long streak of popularity, holding the number-one spot from 1970 to its peak in 1984. Jennifers kept on popping up into the ‘90s too.

Rachel: Did the success of Friends give the name Rachel a boost? Probably, and the haircut named after Jennifer Aniston’s character likely didn't hurt either! 

Nicole: Nicole ranked in the top 20 girls’ names in the ‘90s, but it was also mega popular as a middle name option.

Alexis: Alexis Carrington from Dynasty may have graced our screens in the ‘80s, but the name held on strong through the ‘90s.

Victoria: Victoria had a big moment in the ‘90s thanks to Victoria Adams/Beckham, better known as Posh Spice.

Amber: Once the ‘90s were over, Amber experienced a pretty sharp drop in popularity, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it has a comeback soon.