US first names, 1990–1999
Random names from the 1990s
First names on this page come from Social Security Administration records of U.S. births in the 1990s. That period holds 17,997,039 girls across 30,831 distinct names and 19,470,367 boys across 19,596 distinct names. The three most common names were for girls: Jessica, Ashley, Emily; for boys: Michael, Christopher, Matthew. Names are picked in proportion to how often they were given, and last names come from the 2000 U.S. Census, so the mix looks like real American full names.
More options — middle names, no repeats, realism, seed
1 gives real frequencies. 0 makes every name equally likely.
What the data says
- About 1 in 8 girls born in the 1990s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 12.1% of all recorded girls.
- Names for girls behave like 1,152 equally common names out of 30,831 in use (effective number of names).
- The average girl's name has 6.3 letters.
- About 1 in 6 boys born in the 1990s got one of just 10 names. Those 10 names hold 16.2% of all recorded boys.
- Names for boys behave like 525 equally common names out of 19,596 in use (effective number of names).
- The average boy's name has 6.0 letters.
- Fastest riser for girls: Alexus, from 62 births in 1980 to 1989 to 10,129 in 1990 to 1999.
- Biggest fall for girls: Alexandr, from 301 births in 1980 to 1989 to 0 in 1990 to 1999.
- Fastest riser for boys: Tevin, from 66 births in 1980 to 1989 to 8,525 in 1990 to 1999.
- Biggest fall for boys: Alexande, from 314 births in 1980 to 1989 to 0 in 1990 to 1999.
Girls: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica | 303,136 | 1.68% |
| 2 | Ashley | 301,820 | 1.68% |
| 3 | Emily | 237,262 | 1.32% |
| 4 | Sarah | 224,423 | 1.25% |
| 5 | Samantha | 224,023 | 1.24% |
| 6 | Amanda | 191,132 | 1.06% |
| 7 | Brittany | 190,826 | 1.06% |
| 8 | Elizabeth | 172,693 | 0.96% |
| 9 | Taylor | 169,040 | 0.94% |
| 10 | Megan | 160,375 | 0.89% |
| 11 | Hannah | 158,818 | 0.88% |
| 12 | Kayla | 155,893 | 0.87% |
| 13 | Lauren | 153,590 | 0.85% |
| 14 | Stephanie | 149,836 | 0.83% |
| 15 | Rachel | 149,167 | 0.83% |
| 16 | Jennifer | 148,041 | 0.82% |
| 17 | Nicole | 136,103 | 0.76% |
| 18 | Alexis | 131,199 | 0.73% |
| 19 | Victoria | 117,475 | 0.65% |
| 20 | Amber | 115,605 | 0.64% |
Boys: Top 20 names
| # | Name | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 462,466 | 2.38% |
| 2 | Christopher | 360,287 | 1.85% |
| 3 | Matthew | 351,682 | 1.81% |
| 4 | Joshua | 329,192 | 1.69% |
| 5 | Jacob | 298,415 | 1.53% |
| 6 | Nicholas | 275,329 | 1.41% |
| 7 | Andrew | 272,941 | 1.40% |
| 8 | Daniel | 272,360 | 1.40% |
| 9 | Tyler | 262,320 | 1.35% |
| 10 | Joseph | 260,751 | 1.34% |
| 11 | Brandon | 259,420 | 1.33% |
| 12 | David | 253,711 | 1.30% |
| 13 | James | 244,980 | 1.26% |
| 14 | Ryan | 241,248 | 1.24% |
| 15 | John | 240,151 | 1.23% |
| 16 | Zachary | 225,290 | 1.16% |
| 17 | Justin | 220,135 | 1.13% |
| 18 | William | 217,822 | 1.12% |
| 19 | Anthony | 216,231 | 1.11% |
| 20 | Robert | 205,459 | 1.06% |
Girls: 1980 to 1989 → 1990 to 1999
Rising fastest
- Alexus 62 → 10,129
- Kennedy 126 → 8,552
- Payton 110 → 7,219
- Camryn 73 → 3,419
- Justice 104 → 4,695
Falling fastest
- Alexandr 301 → 0
- Dwan 370 → 5
- Toccara 858 → 18
- Marguita 324 → 9
- Chaka 308 → 14
Boys: 1980 to 1989 → 1990 to 1999
Rising fastest
- Tevin 66 → 8,525
- Stone 32 → 1,445
- Austyn 43 → 1,689
- Tre 80 → 3,067
- Jayden 89 → 3,119
Falling fastest
- Alexande 314 → 0
- Christop 1,082 → 0
- Lisa 426 → 66
- Chirstopher 463 → 76
- Whitney 1,629 → 302
Questions and answers
What was the most common girl's name in the 1990s?
Jessica. 303,136 girls received it, 1.68% of all recorded girls born in the 1990s.
What was the most common boy's name in the 1990s?
Michael. 462,466 boys received it, 2.38% of all recorded boys born in the 1990s.
How concentrated are names in the 1990s?
Among girls the 10 most common names cover 12.1% of births; among boys 16.2%. In this period boys' names were the more concentrated set.
Which names grew fastest compared with 1980 to 1989?
Among names with at least 300 births in 1990 to 1999, the biggest gains were for girls, Alexus (62 births in 1980 to 1989, 10,129 in 1990 to 1999); for boys, Tevin (66 births in 1980 to 1989, 8,525 in 1990 to 1999).
How long is the average first name in the 1990s?
Weighted by how often each name was given: 6.3 letters for girls, 6.0 letters for boys.