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The 90s saw the rise of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors and actresses, the shift to hip-hop, R&B and teen pop music, the birth of eBay, Amazon, Yahoo and Google, and the fashion trends such as “The Rachel”, Dr. Martens, and grunge. If you were born in the 1990s, or if you’re simply interested in the decade, you might want to look at the top 1990s baby names for girls and boys, as tabulated by the Social Security Administration.
Top 10 girls’ names:
1. Jessica – This name had been consistently in the top 1 or 2 spots from 1985 to 1997. It is the name of one of the Wakefield twins from the teen novel series “Sweet Valley High”, which was popular during the 1990s.
2. Ashley – This name was said to be originally a boy’s name. In the 90s, it became one of the most popular girl’s names.
3. Emily – “Emily” is a short but classy name associated with some of the most notable female literary influences such as Emily Bronte and Emily Dickinson. It was the most popular girl’s name from 1996 to 2007.
4. Sarah – This name became popular during the 90s, the time when actresses Sarah Jessica Parker and Sarah Michelle Gellar were very famous. “Sarah” means “princess”.
5. Samantha – This name was already popular in the 1980s, but became even more popular in the next decade. It is said to be the feminine form of “Samuel”.
6. Amanda – This name means “she must be loved” or “deserving to be loved”.
7. Brittany – This is a name inspired by Brittany in France.
8. Elizabeth – It means “my God is an oath.” It is the name of the other Wakefield twin in “Sweet Valley High”.
9. Taylor – It is one of the occupational names that became popular in the 1990s.
10. Megan – This name means “pearl” and is a popular girl’s name of Welsh origin.
Top 10 boys’ names:
1. Michael – This is the most popular boy’s name in the 1990s, perhaps owing to the popularity of the King of Pop, Michael Jackson, and basketball legend, Michael Jordan.
2. Christopher – This name means “bearer or carrier of Christ”. During the 1990s, there were a lot of famous athletes, celebrities and characters with this name.
3. Matthew – One of the most popular biblical names in the 1990s was “Matthew”, a boy’s name of Hebrew origin that means “gift from God”. There were a lot of actors whose prominence was seen during the 90s such as Matt LeBlanc and Matthew Perry whose popularity skyrocketed because of the hit TV sitcom “Friends”, Matt Damon, and Matthew McConaughey.
4. Joshua – Another popular biblical name in the 1990s is Joshua, a Hebrew name which means “God is salvation”. A famous “Joshua” in the 90s is Joshua Jackson, who starred in “The Mighty Ducks” film series and who played “Pacey” in the teen drama series “Dawson’s Creek”.
5. Jacob – Another biblical name that was popular in the 90s is “Jacob”. A popular nickname is “Jack”.
6. Nicholas – This name which has a Greek origin means “people of victory”. Some famous people in the 90s include author Nicholas Sparks (“The Notebook” and “A Walk to Remember”), actor Nicolas Cage (“Face/Off”, “Con Air” and “City of Angels”), and singers Nick Carter of Backstreet Boys and Nick Lachey of 98 Degrees.
7. Andrew – This name is the English form of “Andreas”, that means “manly”, “warrior”, or “masculine”.
8. Daniel – This means “God is my judge”. Some common nicknames include “Dan” and “Danny”.
9. Tyler – This is an occupational name that became popular in the 1980s and 1990s. It means “tile maker”.
10. Joseph – “Joseph” is the English form of the Hebrew name “Yosef”, which means “he will add”.
It can be noted that many of the top names for girls have been influenced by the famous celebrities and trends of the decade, while most of the names that belong to the top 10 boy’s names are from the bible such as Matthew, Joshua, Jacob, Andrew, Daniel, and Joseph.
If you are part of Generation X or Y, giving your little one a name from the top 1990s baby names is a cool thing to do.
Read also:
- Bible Names for Your Baby
- Trendy Millennial Names for Baby Girls
- Transcending Through Time: Colonial Names for Babies
