Names From the 1990s

Real names given to babies in the US from 1990 to 1999. The top names were Jessica for girls and Michael for boys.

Here are 12 names to start. Change the options and press Generate 1990s names for more.

  1. Sean Thomsen#44 boys’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 212 boys#4,616 surname in the 2020 US Census
  2. Giovanni Stone#259 boys’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 1,782 boys#184 surname in the 2020 US Census
  3. Thomas Mason#26 boys’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 133 boys#171 surname in the 2020 US Census
  4. Lauryn Swan#499 girls’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 3,613 girls#1,575 surname in the 2020 US Census
  5. Daniel Locke#8 boys’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 72 boys#1,334 surname in the 2020 US Census
  6. Samantha Bellamy#5 girls’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 80 girls#2,142 surname in the 2020 US Census
  7. Kyla Littleton#340 girls’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 2,152 girls#3,601 surname in the 2020 US Census
  8. Ernest Johnson#394 boys’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 3,218 boys#2 surname in the 2020 US Census
  9. Francis Dillard#356 boys’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 2,752 boys#1,159 surname in the 2020 US Census
  10. Deanna Moya#184 girls’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 1,110 girls#1,973 surname in the 2020 US Census
  11. Phillip Cranford#128 boys’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 696 boys#4,856 surname in the 2020 US Census
  12. Abigail Benavidez#42 girls’ name in the 1990s · 1 in 247 girls#2,833 surname in the 2020 US Census

The 1990s in numbers

37,484,000babies recorded
12.1%of girls got a top-10 name
16.1%of boys got a top-10 name

Counts include names given to at least five babies of the same sex in a year. Early decades undercount births, because many people born before 1937 never applied for a Social Security number.

Top 25 girls' names of the 1990s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1Jessica303,12916.84 per 1,000
#2Ashley301,82016.76 per 1,000
#3Emily237,26013.18 per 1,000
#4Sarah224,41312.46 per 1,000
#5Samantha224,02012.44 per 1,000
#6Amanda191,13110.62 per 1,000
#7Brittany190,82210.6 per 1,000
#8Elizabeth172,6909.59 per 1,000
#9Taylor169,0389.39 per 1,000
#10Megan160,3738.91 per 1,000
#11Hannah158,8148.82 per 1,000
#12Kayla155,8928.66 per 1,000
#13Lauren153,5908.53 per 1,000
#14Stephanie149,8378.32 per 1,000
#15Rachel149,1648.28 per 1,000
#16Jennifer148,0368.22 per 1,000
#17Nicole136,1007.56 per 1,000
#18Alexis131,1987.29 per 1,000
#19Victoria117,4746.52 per 1,000
#20Amber115,6056.42 per 1,000
#21Alyssa115,2546.4 per 1,000
#22Courtney113,2896.29 per 1,000
#23Rebecca109,7176.09 per 1,000
#24Danielle109,5956.09 per 1,000
#25Jasmine105,3175.85 per 1,000

Top 25 boys' names of the 1990s

RankNameBabiesShare
#1Michael462,45123.74 per 1,000
#2Christopher360,28018.5 per 1,000
#3Matthew351,67318.05 per 1,000
#4Joshua329,18416.9 per 1,000
#5Jacob298,41015.32 per 1,000
#6Nicholas275,32614.13 per 1,000
#7Andrew272,92914.01 per 1,000
#8Daniel272,34513.98 per 1,000
#9Tyler262,30813.47 per 1,000
#10Joseph260,73813.39 per 1,000
#11Brandon259,41513.32 per 1,000
#12David253,71213.02 per 1,000
#13James244,96212.58 per 1,000
#14Ryan241,24012.38 per 1,000
#15John240,14712.33 per 1,000
#16Zachary225,28011.57 per 1,000
#17Justin220,12811.3 per 1,000
#18William217,81811.18 per 1,000
#19Anthony216,22911.1 per 1,000
#20Robert205,45410.55 per 1,000
#21Jonathan197,50010.14 per 1,000
#22Austin190,1359.76 per 1,000
#23Alexander183,9439.44 per 1,000
#24Kyle180,2189.25 per 1,000
#25Kevin165,2238.48 per 1,000

Names that rose fastest in the 1990s

Compared with the decade before, among names in the top 300 of the 1990s.

Girls

Boys

Unisex names of the 1990s

The 1990s in other countries

Top three names in each country's own records for the same decade.

CountryGirlsBoys
CanadaJessica, Sarah, EmilyMatthew, Michael, Ryan
United Kingdom (1996–1999)Chloe, Emily, MeganJack, James, Thomas
IrelandSarah, Emma, NiamhDavid, James, Sean
AustraliaJessica, Sarah, EmilyJoshua, Matthew, Daniel
New ZealandJessica, Sarah, HannahJoshua, Matthew, Daniel

Other decades

Frequently asked questions

What were the most popular names in the 1990s?

Jessica, Ashley and Emily for girls; Michael, Christopher and Matthew for boys.

Where does this data come from?

From the US Social Security Administration's national baby-name records, which go back to 1880.

Can I use these names?

Yes. Names are free to use for pets, stories, games, products and anything else. Real names come from public government records; fantasy names are generated, so you do not need permission to use them.