If you like 90s names, you might like...

I chose 20 of the most popular names of the 90s and gave alternatives to them, as names popular then are now entering that "dated and not in the cool vintage way" category. Of course, there's nothing wrong with them, but I think it's time for some fresh new options.
  1. Abigail
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "my father is joyful"
    • Description:

      Abigail has been in for so long -- the name has ranked in the US Top 100 since the late 1980s -- it's amazing that it isn't more out by now. But Abigail's biblical and historic roots make it a fashionable classic rather than a passing fad.
  2. Alexander
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "defending men"
    • Description:

      Alexander has been in a Top 25 boys' name in the US for 30 years now. But namers are still attracted to its imposing historic pedigree.
  3. Allison
    • Origin:

      Scottish, diminutive of Alice
    • Meaning:

      "noble"
    • Description:

      Widely used here since the fifties, Allison -- a derivative of Alice -- has now been once again surpassed by the original Alice as parents embrace vintage revivals. Despite this, Allison's popularity has slipped only slightly.
  4. Benjamin
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "son of the right hand"
    • Description:

      Benjamin is a biblical name that has enjoyed widespread favor for decades, ranking in the US Top 50 for almost half a century and the Top 10 from 2015 until 2023.
  5. Brianna
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Brian
    • Meaning:

      "strong, virtuous and honorable"
    • Description:

      Brianna's popularity in the US came later than father name Brian's, peaking in the 1990s, two decades after Brian's Top 10 reign of the 1970s.
  6. Brittany
    • Origin:

      English name of the French region Bretagne, meaning 'from Briton'
    • Description:

      Brittany first arrived on the US popularity list in 1971, and rapidly zoomed up the charts, in the Top 100 a decade later. By 1986 it had entered the Top 10, becoming the third most popular girls’ name in the country by 1989.
  7. Cameron
    • Origin:

      Scottish surname
    • Meaning:

      "crooked nose"
    • Description:

      With its friendly, sensitive, and approachable feel, Cameron is a 90’s favorite that remains popular today. It has a pleasing balance of soft and strong sounds, and holds unisex appeal, thanks to Cameron Diaz. Still, ten times more boys than girls are named Cameron in the US.
  8. Chase
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "to hunt"
    • Description:

      Chase, with its sleek and ultraprosperous aura, is redolent of the worlds of high finance and international banking. Chase has been well used during the last few decades, seen as a character on 24 and on several young-audience shows.
  9. Chelsea
    • Origin:

      London and New York place-name
    • Description:

      Chelsea is still being used, with about 400 baby girls named Chelsea in the US last year. But it was much more popular a few decades ago, peaking at Number 15 in 1992.
  10. Jenna
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Jennifer
    • Meaning:

      "white shadow, white wave"
    • Description:

      Jenna was first noted on the 1980s TV series Dallas, later associated with one of the First Twin Daughters. Jenna is still being used, but no longer feels much fresher than Jennifer. You can also spell it Jena, but then many people will pronounce it jeen-a, as in Gina.
  11. Kyle
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "narrow spit of land"
    • Description:

      Kyle is still appreciated by thousands of parents each year for its combination of simplicity, strength, and style; it was in the Top 20 for most of the nineties. As a Scottish surname, it dates back to the fifteenth century.
  12. Lauren
    • Origin:

      English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "from Laurentum or bay laurel"
    • Description:

      Lauren was derived from Laurence, an English name from the Roman family name Laurentius, meaning "from Laurentum." Laurentum, an ancient Italian city, got its name from the Latin word laurus, meaning "bay laurel."
  13. Logan
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "small hollow"
    • Description:

      According to exclusive Nameberry data, Logan is officially the Number 1 gender-neutral name in the US, but that statistic is somewhat misleading given that nearly 90 percent of the baby Logans born in 2023 were boys.
  14. Madelyn
    • Origin:

      Variation of Madeline, English
    • Meaning:

      "woman from Magdala or high tower"
    • Description:

      Capturing some of the playful elegance of Madeleine, while avoiding any confusion over end sound, Madelyn is now an established spelling variation of the French classic. Sweet but strong, Madelyn is a versatile choice that lends itself to the almost inevitable nickname Maddy.
  15. Matthew
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "gift of God"
    • Description:

      Matthew was the third most popular boys' name in America throughout the 1980s and '90s, and is still one of the top boy names starting with M. The New Testament Matthew is the epitome of the fashionable classic—safe and sturdy, yet with a more engaging personality than John or William.
  16. Michael
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "who is like God?"
    • Description:

      Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names, it's still widely used.
  17. Nicholas
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "people of victory"
    • Description:

      Nicholas is derived from the Greek Nikolaos, a name that evolved from the components nikē, meaning "victory", and laos, "people." It shares origins with Nike, the name of the Greek goddess of victory. Nicholas is also a New Testament name that is well-used in literature, such as in Dickens's Nicholas Nickleby.
  18. Olivia
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "olive tree"
    • Description:

      Olivia, a lovely Shakespearean name with an admirable balance of strength and femininity, is the Number 1 name for baby girls in the US and one of the top girls' names around the world.
  19. Ryan
    • Origin:

      Irish
    • Meaning:

      "little king"
    • Description:

      Ryan’s use as a given name was inspired by the surname Ryan, a variation of the Irish O’Riain meaning "son of Rían." Rían is composed of the Irish-Gaelic elements , meaning "king" and an, a diminutive suffix. Ryan is considered a unisex name in the US, where variant spellings Ryann and Ryanne are also valid for girls.
  20. Sarah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "princess"
    • Description:

      Sarah was derived from the Hebrew word sarah, meaning "princess." Sarah is an Old Testament name—she was the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac. According to the Book of Genesis, Sarah was originally called Sarai, but had her name changed by God to the more auspicious Sarah when she was ninety years old.