Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1990

In this article we'll look at what the most popular baby girl names were for the year 1990. These names are taken directly from the Social Security card applications for births that occurred in the United States.

The table below shows the top 250 most popular baby girl names in 1990, with a total count for the number of births registered with that given name.

You can also use the links below to research more about the most popular baby names.

Top 1000 most popular boy names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Top 1000 most popular girl names: 1-250 | 251-500 | 501-750 | 751-1000

Rank Name Count
1 Jessica 46,483
2 Ashley 45,560
3 Brittany 36,537
4 Amanda 34,409
5 Samantha 25,867
6 Sarah 25,819
7 Stephanie 24,862
8 Jennifer 22,230
9 Elizabeth 20,749
10 Lauren 20,507
11 Megan 20,256
12 Emily 19,367
13 Nicole 17,956
14 Kayla 17,538
15 Amber 15,863
16 Rachel 15,705
17 Courtney 15,379
18 Danielle 14,336
19 Heather 14,219
20 Melissa 13,997
21 Rebecca 13,675
22 Michelle 13,422
23 Tiffany 13,160
24 Chelsea 12,783
25 Christina 11,926
26 Katherine 11,627
27 Alyssa 11,261
28 Jasmine 11,035
29 Laura 10,913
30 Hannah 10,279
31 Kimberly 10,192
32 Kelsey 9,495
33 Victoria 9,109
34 Sara 8,977
35 Mary 8,669
36 Erica 8,605
37 Alexandra 8,506
38 Amy 8,462
39 Crystal 8,218
40 Andrea 8,215
41 Kelly 8,136
42 Kristen 8,072
43 Erin 7,991
44 Brittney 7,428
45 Anna 7,291
46 Taylor 7,260
47 Maria 7,185
48 Allison 7,133
49 Cassandra 7,053
50 Caitlin 7,027
51 Lindsey 6,780
52 Angela 6,664
53 Katie 6,514
54 Alicia 6,511
55 Jamie 6,510
56 Vanessa 6,407
57 Kathryn 6,353
58 Morgan 6,049
59 Jordan 5,956
60 Whitney 5,904
61 Brianna 5,678
62 Christine 5,675
63 Natalie 5,636
64 Lisa 5,345
65 Kristin 5,303
66 Alexis 5,256
67 Jacqueline 5,239
68 Shannon 5,189
69 Lindsay 5,039
70 Brooke 4,990
71 Catherine 4,892
72 Olivia 4,627
73 April 4,572
74 Erika 4,567
75 Katelyn 4,488
76 Monica 4,452
77 Kristina 4,389
78 Kaitlyn 4,313
79 Paige 4,113
80 Molly 3,965
81 Jenna 3,957
82 Leah 3,924
83 Julia 3,913
84 Bianca 3,827
85 Tara 3,824
86 Melanie 3,812
87 Marissa 3,805
88 Cynthia 3,795
89 Holly 3,771
90 Abigail 3,717
91 Meghan 3,695
92 Kathleen 3,673
93 Julie 3,656
94 Ariel 3,606
95 Alexandria 3,594
96 Veronica 3,587
97 Patricia 3,579
98 Diana 3,545
99 Gabrielle 3,541
100 Shelby 3,517
101 Kaitlin 3,472
102 Margaret 3,372
103 Brandi 3,340
104 Krystal 3,290
105 Natasha 3,270
106 Casey 3,261
107 Bethany 3,236
108 Haley 3,199
109 Briana 3,067
110 Kara 3,036
111 Rachael 3,028
112 Miranda 2,960
113 Breanna 2,951
114 Dana 2,935
115 Leslie 2,828
116 Caroline 2,821
117 Kendra 2,788
118 Sabrina 2,722
119 Angelica 2,717
120 Karen 2,717
121 Felicia 2,703
122 Jillian 2,676
123 Brenda 2,633
124 Ana 2,612
125 Desiree 2,575
126 Meagan 2,530
127 Katrina 2,478
128 Chelsey 2,447
129 Valerie 2,427
130 Emma 2,419
131 Nancy 2,385
132 Alison 2,362
133 Monique 2,362
134 Sandra 2,344
135 Alisha 2,343
136 Britney 2,293
137 Brandy 2,263
138 Joanna 2,231
139 Gina 2,209
140 Grace 2,187
141 Sierra 2,171
142 Candace 2,164
143 Jaclyn 2,155
144 Adriana 2,150
145 Krista 2,144
146 Alexa 2,131
147 Candice 2,117
148 Lacey 2,047
149 Rebekah 2,043
150 Sydney 2,028
151 Nichole 1,992
152 Denise 1,956
153 Dominique 1,946
154 Ashlee 1,941
155 Anne 1,926
156 Yesenia 1,923
157 Kirsten 1,869
158 Claire 1,860
159 Deanna 1,854
160 Colleen 1,808
161 Audrey 1,798
162 Mallory 1,782
163 Carly 1,777
164 Tabitha 1,766
165 Cristina 1,762
166 Raven 1,760
167 Priscilla 1,754
168 Stacey 1,736
169 Carolyn 1,715
170 Carrie 1,708
171 Kiara 1,690
172 Susan 1,687
173 Stacy 1,669
174 Angel 1,662
175 Linda 1,659
176 Mercedes 1,654
177 Autumn 1,652
178 Ashleigh 1,623
179 Kylie 1,614
180 Teresa 1,613
181 Gabriela 1,604
182 Kelli 1,603
183 Caitlyn 1,586
184 Renee 1,573
185 Arielle 1,569
186 Ebony 1,566
187 Cindy 1,566
188 Justine 1,565
189 Karina 1,561
190 Meredith 1,555
191 Bridget 1,547
192 Hillary 1,524
193 Daisy 1,521
194 Amelia 1,513
195 Mayra 1,503
196 Theresa 1,499
197 Claudia 1,495
198 Madeline 1,494
199 Sasha 1,491
200 Heidi 1,465
201 Robin 1,414
202 Destiny 1,408
203 Madison 1,407
204 Lydia 1,405
205 Savannah 1,402
206 Wendy 1,398
207 Barbara 1,388
208 Melinda 1,381
209 Tamara 1,379
210 Ellen 1,378
211 Alejandra 1,376
212 Chloe 1,370
213 Marie 1,341
214 Jenny 1,337
215 Virginia 1,335
216 Kasey 1,333
217 Jocelyn 1,317
218 Carmen 1,313
219 Jade 1,312
220 Evelyn 1,302
221 Jacquelyn 1,299
222 Abby 1,293
223 Janet 1,283
224 Martha 1,267
225 Tracy 1,266
226 Cortney 1,261
227 Bailey 1,259
228 Ariana 1,257
229 Cassie 1,253
230 Brittani 1,221
231 Jasmin 1,218
232 Hilary 1,217
233 Kaylee 1,211
234 Cara 1,211
235 Adrienne 1,210
236 Allyson 1,198
237 Kristine 1,196
238 Pamela 1,194
239 Raquel 1,189
240 Tina 1,181
241 Gloria 1,180
242 Rosa 1,176
243 Camille 1,170
244 Michele 1,164
245 Tiara 1,161
246 Tasha 1,154
247 Mackenzie 1,150
248 Kristy 1,134
249 Ann 1,124
250 Shawna 1,124

What's in a (Popular) Name?

How do we know which baby names are hot each year? It's simple! The Social Security Administration collects data as parents register their newborns for a Social Security card. So, instead of waiting for the 10-year census, we get an annual update on the trending names!

Popular Baby Names vs. Popular First Names: Any Differences?

If you're wondering why the most popular baby names and the most popular first names aren't the same, remember: first names include everyone, not just babies. With 16.5% of the population over 65, names popular in their generation, like 'Tiara' or '', still top the charts. As the birth rate declines, we won't see baby names like 'Jessica' or '' topping the overall popular names list until the Baby Boomer generation decreases significantly.

What Factors Influence Baby Name Popularity?

Ever wondered how a name like 'Amanda' or '' hits the charts? It's not an exact science, but here are some cool factors:

Celebrity Influence

Americans adore their stars! A favorite celeb can influence baby names, so if you see more little 'Brittanys' or 's' running around, you might have a Hollywood A-lister to thank!

Character-Inspired Names

Bookworms and movie buffs often name their kids after beloved characters. If 'Samantha' or '' sound familiar, check out the latest bestseller or box-office hit!

Following the Trend

We humans are trend-followers. So, if a friend's baby 'Sarah' or '' has a cute ring to it, don't be surprised if it catches on!

The Power of Recall

Names heard repeatedly stick in our minds. So if 'Lauren' or '' are on repeat, you'll likely see them in the baby name charts.

Family Tradition

Some names like 'Stephanie' or '' stand the test of time, thanks to the tradition of naming babies after older relatives.

Religion and Politics

Religious texts and political figures inspire many parents. Evergreen choices like 'Jennifer' or '' show the lasting impact of religion and politics on baby names.

So, while we can't always predict why a name like 'Elizabeth' or '' becomes popular, these factors give us some fun insights into the ever-changing landscape of baby names!

Historical Data for Baby Names

If you're interested to see how the trends and popularity of baby names have changed, you can use the links below to view the historical data by decade.

Most popular first names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular boy names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Most popular girl names, 1880-present | since 1950 | since 1960 | since 1970 | since 1980 | since 1990 | since 2000 | since 2010

Data Source(s)

All of the data on this page is sourced from the Social Security Administration (SSA) and excludes any names with fewer than 5 occurrences in any geographic area.

Link To or Reference This Page

We spent a lot of time downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1990". NameCensus.com. Accessed on March 28, 2024. https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1990/.

  • "Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1990". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1990/. Accessed 28 March, 2024

  • Most Popular Baby Girl Names in 1990. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from https://namecensus.com/baby-names/popular-girl-names-in-1990/.