20 Most Popular 1990s Baby Names That Give Seriously Retro Vibes

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 1
SSA ranking today: 574
Year-over-year change in rank: -24 places
Meaning: "God beholds" or "wealthy"

Also the No. 1 girl's name of the '80s, Jessica — as in actress and future mompreneur Jessica Alba — finally hit peak saturation in the '90s. It stayed as one of the top two names through 1997, then fell out of the top 5 altogether. It's been a steady decline since then, and now sits somewhere in the middle of the SSA list of the top 1,000 most popular baby names.

RELATED: The 20 Most Popular Baby Names of the 1980s to Add to Your List

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 1
SSA ranking today: 18
Year-over-year change in rank: -2 places
Meaning: "Who is like God?"

The '90s represented a changing of the guard for Michael. The name held the No. 1 spot for a whopping 44 years, starting in 1954. Then, in 1999, it was finally dethroned by Jacob. Today, Michael, as in GOATed basketball player Michael Jordan, is still incredibly popular and has never dipped out of the top 20. But it also never hit the No. 1 position again.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 2
SSA ranking today: 124
Year-over-year change in rank: +2 places
Meaning: "near the ash tree meadow"

Ashley, as in one-half of the twin acting duo of Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, had its peak in the '90s: The name was most popular in 1991 and 1992, when it briefly captured the No. 1 spot. Today, it's fallen from those heights, but the name has been increasing in popularity again since 2021, so it could be making a comeback.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 2
SSA ranking today: 61
Year-over-year change in rank: -6 places
Meaning: "bearer of Christ"

Christopher, as in actor Christopher Walken, is the consummate second-fiddle. The name had a 15-year streak as the No. 2 boy's name behind Michael, holding onto second place from 1978 to 1994. But it couldn't keep that spot forever, and the name has been steadily declining since 2007.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 3
SSA ranking today: 25
Year-over-year change in rank: -6 places
Meaning: "rival"

The 2010s through today is the era of Emma, but the '90s and '00s were all about Emily. The name was the No. 1 girl's name in the United States between 1996 and 2007. Since then, Emily, as in Chicks member Emily Robinson, has slipped slightly (and dipped below Emma), but it remains a powerhouse name in the top 25.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 3
SSA ranking today: 33
Year-over-year change in rank: -1 place
Meaning: "gift of God"

In the 1990s, boys' names were remarkably consistent. (That's not really the case today.) Michael was often No. 1 (until the end), then Christopher was No. 2, and then Matthew, as in Matthew Broderick, followed behind at third. It was the No. 3 name in the country from 1981 to 2001, save for two years ('95 and '96) when it briefly captured the No. 2 spot. Now, it's slipped to No. 33, but that's up from a low of No. 39 in 2022, so its fortunes may change again.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 4
SSA ranking today: 95
Year-over-year change in rank: -4 places
Meaning: "princess"

Sarah, as in Sex and the City star Sarah Jessica Parker, had its moment in the spotlight in the '90s. The name peaked in 1993, when it reached its highest rank of No. 3. (Sara, a close variant, spent the decade lower on the list, between No. 34 and No. 50.) Today, it's closer to No. 100 than No. 1, and since both Sarah and Sara have been falling in rank in the past couple years, it's likely it'll keep falling.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 4
SSA ranking today: 57
Year-over-year change in rank: +3 places
Meaning: "gift of God"

Joshua's star was still on the rise in the '90s, the name kept climbing and didn't peak until 2006, when it reached No. 3. And while Joshua, as in Josh Harnett, has fallen in rank since then, it's climbing again (albeit extremely slowly), so there may be more Joshs in our future.

RELATED: Vintage Baby Boy Names from the 1950s That Are Increasing in Popularity

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 5
SSA ranking today: 127
Year-over-year change in rank: -13 places
Meaning:"told by God"

Samantha, as in Pump Up the Volume's Samantha Mathis, was a top-10 name for the entirety of the '90s, and it peaked at No. 3 in 1998. Now, it's not even in the top 100 — it fell to No. 106 in 2021 and has only fallen since. That makes Sam a good choice for parents looking for a longer name that's slipping under the radar.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 5
SSA ranking today: 41
Year-over-year change in rank: -6 places
Meaning: "supplanter"

Jacob — as in Starship Troopers actor Jake Busey (whose real first name is actually William, go figure) — is the name that finally stole the crown from Michael after Michael's 44-year run. That started a shorter, but no less impressive, streak of Jacob being the No. 1 name from 1999 to 2012. But no one can stay at the top forever, and Jacob has been falling steadily since 2013.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 6
SSA ranking today: 496
Year-over-year change in rank: -13 places
Meaning: "gift of God"

Amanda, as in Amanda Peet, was already on its way out in the 1990s. The name peaked in 1980, when it hit No. 2 for the first and only time. Today, it's still descending rapidly, and the name has fallen more than 50 places in the SSA rank since 2020.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 6
SSA ranking today: 118
Year-over-year change in rank: -9 places
Meaning: "victory of the people"

Nicholas is a good choice for parents looking for a versatile name, because it comes with so many built-in nicknames, like Nicky, Nick, Nico and Nic, as in actor Nic Cage. Perhaps that's why, despite peaking in 1999 at No. 5, it remains pretty popular today, hanging around at No. 118.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 7
SSA ranking today: 791
Year-over-year change in rank: +65 places
Meaning: "from Briton"

Mark Brittany, as in Sweet Valley High's Brittany Daniel, as the name most likely to stage a comeback. Sure, it's far less popular now than it was in the '90s. It was a top-50 name throughout the decade, and now it's way down in the 700s. But the name took a huge leap in rank between last year and the year before, rising 65 places, so it could be Brittany's time to shine again. And, since we're talking '90s, it must be mentioned that the same cannot be said of Britney, the spelling used by '90s superstar Britney Spears. That one bounced between No, 136 and No. 452 in rank in the '90s, but fell off the list entirely in 2014 and hasn't returned since.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 7
SSA ranking today: 68
Year-over-year change in rank: -3 places
Meaning "manly"

Andrew, as in Melrose Place actor Andrew Shue, was still on its ascent in the '90s. It was in the top 10 between 1986 and 2007 (with the exception of one year, in 1995, when it was 11), and it peaked at No. 5 in 2003. It's fallen since then, possibly due to parents opting for the more unisex Drew, which jumped 65 places in rank — for girls. (Drew for boys only slipped three places in the same period, and is at No. 542.)

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 8
SSA ranking today: 21
Year-over-year change in rank: -5 places
Meaning: "pledged to God"

Elizabeth, as in model and actress Elizabeth Hurley, is as timeless as they come. The name hasn't dipped below No. 26 in the past 100 years. Sure, it's a little less popular now than it was in the '90s — it spent the decade either at No. 9 or No. 10, and today is No. 21 — but there will never be a decade where you won't find it nestled among the most popular names.

RELATED: 200 Beautiful Middle Names for Girls

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 8
SSA ranking today: 16
Year-over-year change in rank: +1 place
Meaning: "God is my judge"

Daniel, like actor Daniel Dae Kim, was a hit throughout the '90s and the '00s. It was a top-12 name throughout both decades, and peaked in 2008, when it hit No. 5. Today, it's still a mainstay of the top 20, and it even improved one place in rank between last year and the year before, so Daniel isn't going anywhere.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 9
SSA ranking today: 353
Year-over-year change in rank: -93 places
Meaning: "tailor"

Decades before Taylor Swift celebrated all the eras she's been alive, the name Taylor — like fellow singer Taylor Dane — was going strong. The rise of Taylor was meteoric: The name wasn't even on the SSA's radar for girls until 1979, when it debuted at No. 969, and it made its way all the way up to No. 75 by 1989, when Swift was born. It began the '90s at No. 46, and by the end of the decade was a top-10 mainstay, peaking in 1996 at No. 6. But what goes up must come down, and Taylor took a huge tumble between last year and the year before, falling 93 places to No. 353. Interestingly, for boys, the name entered the list much earlier — it's been in the top 1,000 since 1900 — but never rose as high, peaking at No. 51 in 1993.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 9
SSA ranking today: 191
Year-over-year change in rank: -14 places
Meaning: "tile maker"

Like Taylor, Tyler — as in soap actor Tyler Christopher — is a name that screams '90s. It peaked in 1994 at No. 5, and spent most of the decade somewhere in the top 10. But Tyler was just a flash in the pan, and started steadily falling once the '90s ended. Today, it's No. 191, losing 14 places in rank between last year and the year before.

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 10
SSA ranking today: 761
Year-over-year change in rank: -67 places
Meaning: "pearl"

Megan's rank could be affected by the number of different ways of spelling it. In addition to Megan, as in Will and Grace star Megan Mullally, there's also Meghan (like '80s baby Meghan Markle), and Megyn (like TV personality Megyn Kelly). While Megan is still the most popular spelling, it's possible the name would rank much higher if all the variants were combined instead of treated like separate names. (The baby-naming website Nameberry tries to account for this in what it calls the "Playground Analysis," which aims to find out what names you're actually likely to hear called out on the playground, regardless of spelling.) But no matter the spelling, Megan is falling in favor, and Megan slipped more than 60 places in rank between last year and the year before.

RELATED: The "Playground Analysis" Finds the 60 Most Popular Baby Names Right Now — For Real

SSA ranking in the 1990s: 10
SSA ranking today: 32
Year-over-year change in rank: -3 places
Meaning: "God will add"

Joseph, as in singer Joseph Lewis Thomas, is the Elizabeth of boy names. While it may have peaked way back in 1917, when it was No. 5, it has been popular in every decade going back a century. It's a classic choice for parents looking for something with a timeless feel.