Most Popular Baby Names of 1990
Top 100 girl and boy names, Social Security records
Jessica and Michael were the most popular baby names of 1990 in the US: 46,486 girls were named Jessica and 65,321 boys were named Michael, about 1 in 41 girls and 1 in 31 boys born that year. It was Jessica's 6th year in a row at #1 for girls (since 1985), and it was Michael's 30th year in a row at #1 for boys (since 1961).
Social Security records list 1,898,547 girls and 2,054,038 boys born in 1990, with 15,227 different girl names and 9,484 boy names. A name is listed for a year only when at least 5 babies of one sex got it.
What Changed From 1989
- The girls' top 10 had the same names as in 1989; Joseph joined the boys' top 10.
- Biggest climbers in the girls' top 100: Shelby (#229 to #100), Ariel (#209 to #94) and Olivia (#122 to #72).
- Biggest climbers in the boys' top 100: Dylan (#115 to #83), Ethan (#87 to #58) and Christian (#78 to #60).
- 6 girl names and 4 boy names left the top 100, among them Kaitlin (#100 to #101) and Seth (#94 to #102).
- 1,638 names appeared in the records for the first time.
Top 100 Baby Names of 1990
Ranked by the babies given each name; the last column is the name's rank in 1989, among names of the same sex. Tied names share a rank.
Top 100 Girl Names of 1990
| # | Name | Babies | In 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jessica | 46,486 | #1 |
| 2 | Ashley | 45,561 | #2 |
| 3 | Brittany | 36,536 | #3 |
| 4 | Amanda | 34,413 | #4 |
| 5 | Samantha | 25,868 | #6 |
| 6 | Sarah | 25,824 | #5 |
| 7 | Stephanie | 24,864 | #8 |
| 8 | Jennifer | 22,236 | #7 |
| 9 | Elizabeth | 20,750 | #10 |
| 10 | Lauren | 20,506 | #9 |
| 11 | Megan | 20,259 | #11 |
| 12 | Emily | 19,370 | #13 |
| 13 | Nicole | 17,954 | #12 |
| 14 | Kayla | 17,538 | #20 |
| 15 | Amber | 15,866 | #14 |
| 16 | Rachel | 15,710 | #18 |
| 17 | Courtney | 15,380 | #21 |
| 18 | Danielle | 14,339 | #17 |
| 19 | Heather | 14,220 | #15 |
| 20 | Melissa | 14,000 | #19 |
| 21 | Rebecca | 13,677 | #24 |
| 22 | Michelle | 13,425 | #22 |
| 23 | Tiffany | 13,160 | #16 |
| 24 | Chelsea | 12,785 | #27 |
| 25 | Christina | 11,927 | #23 |
| 26 | Katherine | 11,625 | #26 |
| 27 | Alyssa | 11,263 | #33 |
| 28 | Jasmine | 11,037 | #30 |
| 29 | Laura | 10,914 | #25 |
| 30 | Hannah | 10,283 | #42 |
| 31 | Kimberly | 10,191 | #28 |
| 32 | Kelsey | 9,494 | #31 |
| 33 | Victoria | 9,109 | #44 |
| 34 | Sara | 8,979 | #29 |
| 35 | Mary | 8,670 | #38 |
| 36 | Erica | 8,608 | #34 |
| 37 | Alexandra | 8,508 | #43 |
| 38 | Amy | 8,463 | #35 |
| 39 | Crystal | 8,218 | #32 |
| 40 | Andrea | 8,214 | #39 |
| 41 | Kelly | 8,137 | #37 |
| 42 | Kristen | 8,073 | #36 |
| 43 | Erin | 7,989 | #40 |
| 44 | Brittney | 7,427 | #41 |
| 45 | Anna | 7,293 | #51 |
| 46 | Taylor | 7,262 | #75 |
| 47 | Maria | 7,186 | #56 |
| 48 | Allison | 7,136 | #46 |
| 49 | Cassandra | 7,054 | #54 |
| 50 | Caitlin | 7,026 | #49 |
| 51 | Lindsey | 6,782 | #48 |
| 52 | Angela | 6,666 | #47 |
| 53 | Katie | 6,514 | #45 |
| 54 | Alicia | 6,511 | #53 |
| 55 | Jamie | 6,509 | #52 |
| 56 | Vanessa | 6,409 | #50 |
| 57 | Kathryn | 6,353 | #58 |
| 58 | Morgan | 6,047 | #69 |
| 59 | Jordan | 5,957 | #72 |
| 60 | Whitney | 5,905 | #57 |
| 61 | Brianna | 5,680 | #77 |
| 62 | Christine | 5,679 | #59 |
| 63 | Natalie | 5,637 | #62 |
| 64 | Lisa | 5,347 | #55 |
| 65 | Kristin | 5,300 | #60 |
| 66 | Alexis | 5,257 | #92 |
| 67 | Jacqueline | 5,237 | #64 |
| 68 | Shannon | 5,190 | #61 |
| 69 | Lindsay | 5,040 | #63 |
| 70 | Brooke | 4,990 | #74 |
| 71 | Catherine | 4,894 | #67 |
| 72 | Olivia | 4,626 | #122 |
| 73 | April | 4,572 | #66 |
| 74 | Erika | 4,569 | #73 |
| 75 | Katelyn | 4,489 | #76 |
| 76 | Monica | 4,453 | #68 |
| 77 | Kristina | 4,389 | #65 |
| 78 | Kaitlyn | 4,312 | #95 |
| 79 | Paige | 4,113 | #124 |
| 80 | Molly | 3,965 | #93 |
| 81 | Jenna | 3,956 | #71 |
| 82 | Leah | 3,924 | #83 |
| 83 | Julia | 3,914 | #96 |
| 84 | Bianca | 3,829 | #91 |
| 85 | Tara | 3,826 | #70 |
| 86 | Melanie | 3,813 | #88 |
| 87 | Marissa | 3,806 | #81 |
| 88 | Cynthia | 3,797 | #84 |
| 89 | Holly | 3,772 | #79 |
| 90 | Abigail | 3,719 | #94 |
| 91 | Meghan | 3,695 | #80 |
| 92 | Kathleen | 3,670 | #90 |
| 93 | Julie | 3,657 | #78 |
| 94 | Ariel | 3,607 | #209 |
| 95 | Alexandria | 3,595 | #104 |
| 96 | Veronica | 3,588 | #85 |
| 97 | Patricia | 3,579 | #89 |
| 98 | Diana | 3,548 | #86 |
| 99 | Gabrielle | 3,541 | #112 |
| 100 | Shelby | 3,517 | #229 |
Top 100 Boy Names of 1990
| # | Name | Babies | In 1989 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Michael | 65,321 | #1 |
| 2 | Christopher | 52,362 | #2 |
| 3 | Matthew | 44,826 | #3 |
| 4 | Joshua | 43,237 | #4 |
| 5 | Daniel | 33,830 | #6 |
| 6 | David | 33,748 | #5 |
| 7 | Andrew | 33,673 | #7 |
| 8 | James | 32,359 | #9 |
| 9 | Justin | 30,649 | #8 |
| 10 | Joseph | 30,137 | #11 |
| 11 | Ryan | 29,263 | #13 |
| 12 | John | 29,089 | #12 |
| 13 | Robert | 28,886 | #10 |
| 14 | Nicholas | 27,913 | #14 |
| 15 | Anthony | 25,088 | #16 |
| 16 | William | 24,906 | #15 |
| 17 | Jonathan | 24,077 | #17 |
| 18 | Kyle | 22,710 | #20 |
| 19 | Brandon | 22,163 | #18 |
| 20 | Jacob | 22,022 | #26 |
| 21 | Tyler | 20,646 | #30 |
| 22 | Zachary | 20,430 | #25 |
| 23 | Kevin | 20,413 | #19 |
| 24 | Eric | 19,430 | #21 |
| 25 | Steven | 18,764 | #22 |
| 26 | Thomas | 18,231 | #23 |
| 27 | Brian | 16,935 | #24 |
| 28 | Alexander | 16,194 | #32 |
| 29 | Jordan | 16,137 | #44 |
| 30 | Timothy | 15,700 | #28 |
| 31 | Cody | 15,399 | #45 |
| 32 | Adam | 14,713 | #27 |
| 33 | Benjamin | 14,633 | #29 |
| 34 | Aaron | 14,557 | #31 |
| 35 | Richard | 13,580 | #33 |
| 36 | Patrick | 12,377 | #38 |
| 37 | Sean | 12,018 | #39 |
| 38 | Charles | 12,000 | #36 |
| 39 | Stephen | 11,943 | #40 |
| 40 | Jeremy | 11,689 | #34 |
| 41 | Jose | 11,519 | #46 |
| 42 | Travis | 11,462 | #41 |
| 43 | Jeffrey | 10,980 | #37 |
| 44 | Nathan | 10,934 | #43 |
| 45 | Samuel | 10,894 | #47 |
| 46 | Jason | 10,694 | #35 |
| 47 | Mark | 10,689 | #42 |
| 48 | Jesse | 8,977 | #50 |
| 49 | Paul | 8,579 | #49 |
| 50 | Dustin | 8,457 | #48 |
| 51 | Gregory | 8,378 | #52 |
| 52 | Kenneth | 8,262 | #53 |
| 53 | Scott | 8,086 | #51 |
| 54 | Derek | 8,083 | #54 |
| 55 | Austin | 7,915 | #59 |
| 56 | Corey | 7,692 | #55 |
| 57 | Bryan | 7,439 | #56 |
| 58 | Ethan | 6,989 | #87 |
| 59 | Alex | 6,951 | #60 |
| 60 | Christian | 6,786 | #78 |
| 61 | Juan | 6,743 | #63 |
| 62 | Cameron | 6,660 | #64 |
| 63 | Jared | 6,643 | #57 |
| 64 | Taylor | 6,579 | #72 |
| 65 | Bradley | 6,437 | #58 |
| 66 | Luis | 5,795 | #73 |
| 67 | Cory | 5,765 | #61 |
| 68 | Edward | 5,746 | #62 |
| 69 | Shawn | 5,721 | #65 |
| 70 | Ian | 5,460 | #68 |
| 71 | Evan | 5,308 | #69 |
| 72 | Marcus | 5,304 | #67 |
| 73 | Shane | 5,274 | #71 |
| 74 | Peter | 5,224 | #66 |
| 75 | Carlos | 5,213 | #77 |
| 76 | Trevor | 5,141 | #83 |
| 77 | Antonio | 4,867 | #76 |
| 78 | Vincent | 4,804 | #80 |
| 79 | George | 4,567 | #79 |
| 80 | Keith | 4,481 | #70 |
| 81 | Phillip | 4,454 | #75 |
| 82 | Victor | 4,445 | #89 |
| 83 | Dylan | 4,414 | #115 |
| 84 | Brett | 4,394 | #81 |
| 85 | Chad | 4,351 | #74 |
| 86 | Nathaniel | 4,348 | #84 |
| 87 | Donald | 4,177 | #82 |
| 88 | Caleb | 4,154 | #91 |
| 89 | Casey | 4,134 | #90 |
| 90 | Jesus | 4,131 | #103 |
| 91 | Blake | 4,103 | #97 |
| 92 | Raymond | 4,062 | #86 |
| 93 | Mitchell | 4,021 | #93 |
| 94 | Adrian | 4,000 | #100 |
| 94 | Joel | 4,000 | #88 |
| 96 | Erik | 3,956 | #95 |
| 97 | Ronald | 3,899 | #85 |
| 98 | Devin | 3,866 | #96 |
| 99 | Garrett | 3,757 | #102 |
| 100 | Gabriel | 3,699 | #110 |
Open a name to see how many people with it are alive today and how its popularity changed. See the year before, 1989, or the year after, 1991, the top 100 of the whole 1990s, or let the random name generator pick names from the 1990s. For more on how the top names changed, read Most Popular Names by Decade.