When it comes to naming a baby, a moniker with a throwback or old-fashioned feel to it is a great route to explore – and somehow the nineties were actually thirty odd years ago, meaning the names that were popular then are now... officially classed as vintage? Eek! If you're a fellow millennial reading this, I feel your pain.
But back to names! A good name is one that can stand the test of time and clearly, there are some nineties names that are absolute classics and which never really went away to begin with (we're looking at you, Oliver) and there are others that are slowly seeing a resurgence (get ready to meet some baby Robyns soon!).
Here's an official list of the most popular baby names in the nineties for boys and girls, plus the nineties names that we're predicting are coming roaring back for the twenties. The data used below is from 1994 and 2023 in England and Wales, charting as close to a 30-year gap as possible.
P.S. Looking for some more unique baby names? We've got the top food-inspired ones right here (not as weird as you might think, actually), some cracking double-barrel options and ones perfect for bbs born in May, too.
Most popular boys names in the 90s
- Thomas
- Jack
- Daniel
- Matthew
- Ryan
- Joshua
- Luke
- Samuel
- Jordan
- Adam
- Michael
- Christopher
- Benjamin
- Joseph
- Liam
- Jake
- William
- Andrew
- George
- Lewis
- Oliver
- David
- Robert
- Jamie
- Nathan
- Connor
- Jonathan
- Harry
- Callum
- Aaron
- Ashley
- Bradley
- Jacob
- Kieran
- Scott
- Sam
- John
- Ben
- Mohammed
- Nicholas
Most popular girls names in the 90s
- Rebecca
- Lauren
- Jessica
- Charlotte
- Hannah
- Sophie
- Amy
- Emily
- Laura
- Emma
- Chloe
- Sarah
- Lucy
- Katie
- Bethany
- Jade
- Megan
- Alice
- Rachel
- Samantha
- Danielle
- Holly
- Abigail
- Olivia
- Stephanie
- Elizabeth
- Victoria
- Natasha
- Georgia
- Zoe
- Natalie
- Eleanor
- Shannon
- Paige
- Georgina
- Gemma
- Nicole
- Chelsea
- Kirsty
- Alexandra
Nineties boys names making a comeback
- Oliver: Via the Office of National Statistics' most recent data set (released in December 2024), Oliver came in as the third most popular name in 2023 and was a respectable number 23 during the year 1994. It's never dropped out of the top 100, meaning it's a solid and reliable choice.
- Louis: Coming in at number 66 back in the nineties, last year marked the name Louis leaping up the popularity scale by 32 places over the last decade. Perhaps inspired by Prince Louis?
- George: Number 21 on the list of most popular boys names in 1994, and number 4 in the most recent dataset.
- Jacob: Number 33 back in 1994 and number 24 last year, this is a classic.
- Liam: This name has shuffled up 5 places (to number 71) since 2022, and was number 15 in the nineties.
- Daniel: In the nineties, Daniel was number four on the list of most popular boys names. It slipped off a bit in the mid-2000s but is now sitting happily at number 60.
- Alexander: Didn't everyone have an Alex in their class back in the 90s? Given it was the 13th most popular name, it wouldn't be a surprise. These days, it's 34th on the list and the chosen baby name for 1,456 little ones in 2023.
- Harry: Number 30 in the 90s and number 21 today, this one isn't going anywhere.
- Michael: A top nineties staple (number 12!) that's still 88 on the top 100 list.
- Joshua: Number 7 in the mid-90s, this name is number 40 today.
Nineties girls names making a comeback
- Robyn: One of the biggest movers and shakers on the list, Robyn was the 82nd most popular name back in 1994 and today, sits at number 64 on the most popular list. It's shot up 7 places since 2022 and over 55 places since 2013. Go, Robyn!
- Harriet: More popular in the 90s than it is now (at 54th place), we're predicting the Harriet love is only going to grow in the coming years. Right now, the name is 62nd on the list, up 3 places from 2022.
- Lily: A name that was popular in the 90s (ranking at 90, in fact) which has now well surpassed that figure and is number four on the top 100 girls names right now.
- Sophie: One of the most popular names ever in the nineties (number 6 in 1994), Sophie has come all the way back around and is now number 51 on the list for girls.
- Eleanor: She was number 32 back in the nineties, dropped off a tad and bounced back last year to the 58th spot. There were 762 new Eleanors welcomed to the world in 2023!
- Chloe: Number 65 right now, Chloe dominated the nineties most popular list and was in the eleventh position.
- Elizabeth: Sitting pretty at number 26 in the nineties, Elizabeth was a hugely popular name (with so many spin off variants btw! From Lizzie to Beth to Ellie). Now, the name is 68th.
- Hannah: Up four places since 2022, Hannah is now just about in the top 100 at number 94. But back in the nineties? Hannah was everywhere. She was number five, in fact.
- Emily: Not as popular as it once was, Emily is number 28 today (vs. number 8 in the mid-90s).
- Charlotte: Although Lottie is more popular (it's number 48 today!), Charlotte - which was the fourth most popular girl name in the 90s - has moved up three places in the last few years, now sitting at 23.
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
