1990s Baby Names

223 1990s names with meanings, U.S. popularity, and audio pronunciation on every page.

1990s baby names are the names—both familiar and inventive—that filled birth certificates during the decade of grunge, boy bands and the early internet. Prim, soap-opera-polished favorites like Chelsea and Kelsey sat alongside a wave of newly coined names built from sound and rhythm.

A decade of contrasts

Clean, preppy favorites such as Haley and Kaylie stayed close to convention, while other parents embraced bold, original names like Dayquan, Rashawn and Diamonique, prized for their distinctive sound.

Girl names of the era

Girls’ names ranged from familiar to strikingly original, including Kaneesha, Shanequa, Breaunna and Montanna.

Boy names of the era

Boys’ names leaned strong and rhythmic, with Dantrell, Dvonte and Trayvond capturing the decade’s confident energy.

Creative spellings of classic names

Many parents reimagined familiar names with a personal spin—Samantha became Sammantha, Jennifer became Jeniffer, and Amanda-style rhythms shaped Meranda—a hallmark of ‘90s individuality.

Every name below links to its own page with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, famous bearers, and a clear audio pronunciation — so you can hear it before you choose.

1990s Girl Names

Tatyanna#17711 in the U.S.Tatyanna is an ornate spelling of Tatiana, the feminine of the Roman family name Tatius. Long p▶Tyesha#17777 in the U.S.Tyesha is a coined African-American name pairing the Ty- opening with the -esha ending that ech▶Raechel#17851 in the U.S.Raechel is a decorative respelling of Rachel, inserting an a to make the long-a sound explicit.▶Keiondra#17852 in the U.S.Keiondra is a modern American coinage, joining the Kei- prefix with an -ondra ending shared by ▶Marrissa#17913 in the U.S.Marrissa is a double-r respelling of Marissa, a name generally traced to Latin maris, 'of the s▶Jamika#17956 in the U.S.Jamika is a modern American coinage in the -ika family alongside Tamika and Shameka, built from▶Shanece#18062 in the U.S.Shanece is a respelling of Shanice, a coinage that joins the Sha- prefix to the -nice element (▶Jameisha#18127 in the U.S.Jameisha is a coined name in the Jamesha/Jamisha family, joining a Ja- prefix to the -eisha end▶Kasondra#18187 in the U.S.Kasondra is a K- and -o- respelling of Cassandra, in Greek myth the Trojan princess granted tru▶Kirstie#18281 in the U.S.Kirstie is a Scottish diminutive of Kirsten, the Scandinavian and Scots form of Christine, from▶Maurisa#18293 in the U.S.Maurisa is best explained as a late twentieth-century blend, joining the Maur- opening of Maure▶Laquisha#18349 in the U.S.Laquisha is a coined American name pairing the La- prefix with a -quisha ending in the Keisha a▶Moesha#18391 in the U.S.Moesha is a modern coinage that echoes the Hebrew name Moses (Moshe), traditionally 'drawn out ▶Sintia#18502 in the U.S.Sintia is a phonetic and Spanish-influenced spelling of Cynthia (Cintia in Spanish). Cynthia is▶Shaquana#18723 in the U.S.Shaquana is a coined African-American name built from the Sha- prefix and a -quana ending, part▶Mikea#18939 in the U.S.Mikea reads as a feminine elaboration of Micah or Mika, both from the Hebrew mi kha'el, meaning▶Keyasha#19108 in the U.S.Keyasha is a modern American coinage, joining the popular Ke- prefix with a -yasha ending in th▶Shanee#19126 in the U.S.Shanee is a modern name in the popular Sha- family, read as a respelling of Shanae; it also coi▶Kyiesha#19157 in the U.S.Kyiesha is best read as a coined variant echoing Keisha or Aisha, the latter from the Arabic ai▶Shakara#19381 in the U.S.Shakara joins the Sha- prefix to the -kara sound of Kara and the popular Shakira. It has no sin▶Mikesha#19514 in the U.S.Mikesha combines a form of Michael, from the Hebrew Micha'el, 'who is like God,' with the widel▶Shaquanna#19582 in the U.S.Shaquanna is an invented name from the productive Sha- and -quan sound-family, pairing the popu▶Ndea#19685 in the U.S.Ndea is a rare coined name of uncertain origin. Its unusual Nd- opening may echo African names ▶

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Frequently Asked

What are 1990s baby names?

They’re names that were common on birth certificates during the 1990s — a mix of clean, preppy classics and a fresh wave of inventive, phonetically-spelled names that broke from tradition.

What are popular 1990s girl names?

Chelsea, Kelsey, Haley and Kaylie represent the decade’s preppier side, while Kaneesha, Shanequa, Breaunna and Montanna capture its bolder, more original spirit.

What are popular 1990s boy names?

Dayquan, Rashawn, Dantrell, Dvonte and Trayvond are classic examples of the strong, rhythmic boy names that defined the era.

Why do so many 1990s names have unique spellings?

Parents in the ‘90s often reworked familiar names into something more personal — turning Samantha into Sammantha or Jennifer into Jeniffer — as a way to give their child a name that felt one-of-a-kind.

How many 1990s baby names are on More4Kids?

More4Kids lists 223 1990s baby names, each with a sourced meaning, U.S. popularity, and an audio pronunciation.