Much as we loved the '80s, there was something special about growing up a decade later. After that, the ‘90s gave us The Spice Girls, Saved by the Bell, Home Alone and more spiky-haired, clean-cut boybands than a teen girl could ever want.
If you’re like us and still harbour a secret obsession with that fabulous decade, you might want to consider these names for your tot. Maybe one day you’ll even watch Sweet Valley High together!
GIRLS
Rose
Titanic would have been nothing without Kate Winslet’s poor-little-rich-girl performance as red-haired Rose who fell for down-on-his-luck Jack.
Tia
Sister, Sister was one of our favourite shows on kids’ TV. Everyone wanted to be Tia – she was slightly prettier and cooler – but Tamara’s not a bad name either.
Mara
Mara Wilson was one of those child actresses who just kept popping up, and we didn’t mind one little bit. She upped the cute factor big-time in Mrs Doubtfire, Miracle on 34th Street and Matilda, to name a few.
Julia
Julia Roberts is still hot around Hollywood, but it was the 90s that put her the map. Remember her in Pretty Woman back in 1990? Then there was My Best Friend’s Wedding and Notting Hill and…oh, build us a time machine, everything was so much better back then!
Kat
All girls wanted to be the cool little sister, Bianca. But watching 10 Things I Hate About You when you're a bit older makes you makes you realise it’s all about the rebellious one, Kat (Julia Stiles).
Jasmine
Who says a cartoon character can’t be beautiful? Just look at Aladdin’s Jasmine. Stunning!
Hallie
Lindsay Lohan didn’t really find fame (or notoriety) until the noughties, but it’s the 90s that gave her a start. She played two characters in The Parent Trap, twins Hallie and Annie (but Annie’s a bit ordinary for this list!)
Rachel
Thanks to Jennifer Aniston’s character from Friends, Rachel became a pretty popular name during the 90s. Asking for a ‘Rachel’ at the hair salon was pretty standard too.
Carrie
The lead character from Sex and the City, Carrie may have been a bit neurotic but we love her anyway. She’s the one to introduce us to Manolo Blahniks, after all!
Christina
Even Britney fans concede that Christina Aguilera had some pretty catchy numbers throughout the 90s. She’s a pretty face, too.
Jessica
Who didn’t love Sweet Valley High (SVH)? And crazy Jessica was always our favourite, hands down. No offence to Elizabeth (though she was a bit straight-laced…)
Ashley
Even though they’re pretty much identical, Ashley was always considered the ‘pretty’ one. While we’re not sure about that, we have to admit we much prefer Ashley to Mary-Kate in the name department.
Katie
Who didn’t love Katie Holmes in Dawson’s Creek? With her puppy dog eyes and her girl-next-door personality, she was the girl every teen girl wanted to be (and every teen boy wanted to be with!)
Thora
Little girls of the 90s had a real thing for Thora. She was pretty, funny, sassy, and she was in the Halloween extravaganza that was Hocus Pocus.
Dani
Speaking of Hocus Pocus, Thora’s character in the film was Dani, a smart-mouthed ten-year-old who fought off the wicked Sanderson sisters. So cute!
Alicia
Alicia Silverstone killed it as rich high school girl Cher whose attempts to boost a new girl’s popularity backfired once her heart got in the way.
BOYS
Jack
We know, Jack is pretty common enough as it is, but we can’t include Rose and not Jack? They belong together!
Will
Good Will Hunting is a fab film, but mostly because of Will, played by the oh-so-hunky Matt Damon.
Zachary
Saved by the Bell was one of the best kids’ TV shows of the decade, and Zachary was easily our favourite of the boys. So much better than Slater!
Kevin
It’s fallen off the radar a bit, but we’ll always have a soft spot for Kevins and it’s all thanks to Home Alone. Not only is he a cutie, he’s also crafty enough to fight off two bumbling burglars.
Andy
Yes, Buzz Lightyear and Woody stole the show, but Toy Story’s Andy was their cute little owner.
Robbie
Who didn’t love Robbie Williams, with or without Take That? He’s beautiful and talented to boot!
Keith
Yes, Ronan Keating was the favourite out of the Boyzone bunch, but now that he's done the dirt on his wife, we think Keith is probably the best, don't you? We love him in Corrie too.
Johnny
Johnny Depp’s still going but he found fame in the 90s. Edward Scissorhands, What’s Eating Gilbert Grape and Donnie Brasco are just some of the films that put him on the map.
Nick
There’s something to be said for short, strong names like Nick, especially when they bring back memories of a certain Backstreet Boy’s adorable floppy blonde locks.
Todd
Another SVH one here. While most girls wanted to be Jessica, it was Elizabeth’s boyfriend Todd we lusted after…
Joshua
While most teen boys wanted to get busy with Katie Holmes’ Joey, teenage girls were all about Pacey. We’re not sure about Pacey as a baby’s name though, so we’ll go with Joshua Jackson, who played him.
James
He wasn’t as cute as Pacey, but there was something about James Van Der Beek as Dawson.
Ryan
For a while there, it looked like Ryan Philippe was on track to become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars. While he’s been on a downward spiral since then, we’ll always be happy to see that face whenever Cruel Intentions gets airtime.
Freddie
Much like Ryan, Freddie Prinze Junior was a big name back then. He’s pretty much dropped off the face of Hollywood, but he did fulfil our dreams by marrying Sarah Michelle Gellar.
SHARE if you like some of these.
