Names that Peaked in 1994

  1. Zana
    • Origin:

      Polish, Croatian, Bosnian, Serbian, Latvian, Albanian
    • Meaning:

      "God is Gracious; lily; voice, fairy"
    • Description:

      An international possibility, heard from England and Israel to Poland, Latvia, and Albania. It is a name with a vast range of possible meanings and origins, including: a Polish variation of Jane, meaning "God is Gracious"; a Croatian, Bosnian, and Serbian short form of Susanna, meaning "lily"; a Persian name meaning "woman"; a Mongolian name meaning "bullfinch"; and a Shona name from Zimbabwe meaning "a hundred".
  2. Janae
    • Origin:

      American, modern elaboration of Jane or Jan
    • Description:

      Adds a soupcon of French flair to some old classics with the currently trendy ae ending.
  3. Darian
    • Origin:

      Variation of Darius
    • Meaning:

      "rich, kingly"
    • Description:

      Unusual option, with a Waspy Connecticut air.
  4. Kaitlin
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Caitlin
    • Description:

      Kaitlin is a variation of Caitlin that's on a steep decline; it dropped out of the Top 1000 in 2013, after more than three decades on the list.
  5. Deandre
    • Origin:

      Modern invented name
    • Meaning:

      "son of Andre"
    • Description:

      A popular choice amongst the African American naming community in the 90s, Deandre has been falling out of style in favor of more contemporary choices.
  6. Bernardo
    • Origin:

      Italian, Spanish, Portuguese
    • Meaning:

      "strong as a bear"
    • Description:

      This Latinate form of Bernard hovered in the lower regions of the US Top 1000 from the late 1940s until 2006, possibly inspired by the character in West Side Story.
  7. Deshawn
    • Origin:

      American invented name, variation of Shawn
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Classically, the De- prefix indicates "son of," so any variation of this name could work for the child of a dad named Shawn or Sean.
  8. Deon
    • Origin:

      Variation of Dion
    • Description:

      Though a variation of Dion, this name made it into 2013's Top 1000 while the original did not.
  9. Jasmin
    • Origin:

      Variation of Jasmine, a Persian flower name
    • Meaning:

      "jasmine flower"
    • Description:

      Jasmin doesn't have the grace of Jasmine (which in 2016 ranked at 122 in the US Top 1000), but it is far more preferable to the trendier versions doing the rounds like Jazmin or Jazzmyn. If you are looking for a more unusual variant try Yasmin or Jessamine.
  10. Zackary
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Zachary
    • Description:

      While this spelling makes sense phonetically, it will inevitably cause confusion when nine out of ten people assume the traditional Zachary spelling.
  11. Menachem
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "the comforter"
    • Description:

      A middle-aged, if not elderly, name associated with Israeli statesman and onetime prime minister Begin, this is a symbolic appellation for boys born on the holiday of Tishah-b'Ab.
  12. Markell
    • Devan
      • Rikki
        • Origin:

          Feminine variation of Richard
        • Description:

          Ricki has also been used, but like Vikki and Nikki, Rikki has also had its day.
      • Karlie
        • Origin:

          Spelling variation of Carly
        • Description:

          Supermodel Karlie Kloss lends this spelling variation some style. Having appeared in the US Top 1000 since 1991, it was in trouble of dropping off completely when it ranked Number 992 in 2009. Since then, however, it has made modest strides back up the list.
      • Daulton
        • Origin:

          Spelling variation of Dalton
        • Description:

          Stick with the original.
      • Dashawn
        • Origin:

          Variation of DeShawn
        • Meaning:

          "God is gracious"
        • Description:

          DeShawn or Deshawn is the more popular variation, but Dashawn charted from the late 1980s until 2010, which means it's on its way to becoming a Dad Name. Traditionally, the De or Da prefix means "son of", so this name means "son of Shawn", with Shawn a variation of John.
      • Darion
        • Tyrin
          • Baby
            • Origin:

              Word name
            • Description:

              Usually reserved as a term of endearment, Baby is likely used as a name when parents have yet to choose an official one but need to register their baby. For a girl, it can be considered a nickname for Barbara too.