Names that Peaked in 1991

While not as popular as the Ariel spelling of Little Mermaid fame, this rendition has achieved popularity in its own right.

Lovely, authentic name -- but any Kirsten will be condemned to a lifetime of hearing "Did you say Kristen?" They're both genuine Scandinavian names but too interchangeable.

Attractive translation of Beatrice, popular with Hispanic parents. Beatriz is currently a Top 10 girl name in Portugal.

A wise ruler of legend--his sage advice helped the Greeks win the Trojan War--whose name is a possibility for the adventurous, though related in sound to the dated Lester-Hester family.

Used far more for boys with this spelling, but still has a nice impish Irish feel for a girl.

This name, which refers to Mary as the Virgin of the Dew, is all but unknown in the Anglo community, but popular enough in Hispanic families to put it in the U. S. Top 1000, at least until 2006.

An intriguing mythological name whose one challenge might be pronunciation questions.

Not quite a nature name and not quite a surname — whatever Laken is or isn't, we know it's definitely a name to watch.

Fans of the classic French designer would now more fashionably choose Coco.

German might seem like an unlikely occupant of the Top 1000 list, unless you realize that it's a Spanish name, with the accent on the second syllable. It's been on the U.S. list since 1973.

Alberto is the Italian, Spanish and Portuguese variation of Albert and lends a more unusual and fashionable edge to this name which is still a grandpa name to many.

Kiefer is a strong occupational surname associated with "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, but one that could well join the other 'er' surnames currently in favor. Keifer is a German surname transferred to first name use, derived from two old Germanic words, kien and forhe, both of which mean "pine tree."

Both Karissa and Carissa are trending downward, along with the other issa names that first rose to popularity in the 1970s. Karissa fell out of the Top 1000 in 2014, two years after Carissa.

This British last-name-first-name could make a more masculine alternative to Shelby.

Unisex option Dominique peaked for boys at Number 170 in 1991, perhaps due to the popularity of basketball player Dominique Wilkins. It's one of the most truly gender-neutral baby names right now.

Feels more modern than the Y version but also less authentic.

Variation of CASEY or combination of initials K. and C. From the time when initial names seemed really neat. K. C.

Trending down, now that country music's Shania is the hot variety.

Dijon is the capital city of the Burgundy region of eastern France, famed for its wine and yes, its mustard. As a first name, it's been brought to wider attention by a few prominent musicians and could grow in use.