The 90s brought us some iconic movies and TV shows, as well as some legendary pop stars, so it comes as no surprise that they ended up inspiring the names of many 90s babies.
It’s the decade when we saw celebrity and pop culture growing increasingly popular and, here in Scotland, a look back at the baby name records of the time shows that parents were huge fans of the likes of the TV show Friends and bands such as the Spice Girls and Oasis.
Here are just a few of the most popular - and it really is just the tip of the iceberg.
Girls
Rachel
Let’s face it, Rachel Green is arguably the TV character that sums up the 90s in one. The fashion, the drama, the quotes, the haircut, she had it all and thousands of parents across Scotland loved her name enough to give it to their daughters.
Jennifer
Behind Rachel Green is, of course, actress Jennifer Aniston, who captured our hearts both on and off screen and gave us all serious relationship goals during her Hollywood romance with Brad Pitt.
Courtney
The Monica to Jennifer’s Rachel, Courtney Cox also makes the list. But it’s not just Friends she’s famous for. Courtney also appeared in 90s classics such as Scream and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective.
Lisa
There are a couple of sources of inspiration when it comes to the name Lisa. First, there’s Lisa Kudrow, the actress behind eccentric Friends character Phoebe, meaning all three actresses behind the main female characters had a huge impact on parents. But there’s also Lisa Simpson, who we’re betting was also a massive influence.
Emma
Emma Bunton, aka Baby Spice, was one of the most popular members of one of the biggest girl groups in history. So it’s no wonder her name was one of the most popular baby names in Scotland during the 90s, repeatedly making the top 10.
Boys
Ross
“We were on a break!” We started with Rachel for the girls, so it makes sense to start with her on-again-off-again partner Ross Gellar whose name ranked very highly in the most popular baby boy names of the 90s.
Robbie
While Robert was already a regular feature in the top boys names, Robbie began creeping up thanks to Take That’s bad boy Mr Williams. Even more so when he left his bandmates behind to pursue what would become a very successful solo career.
Will
William is another strong Scottish name which has been popular for centuries, but in the 90s, celebs like Will Smith made it fashionable to shorten it. Who doesn’t want to be named after one of the Men in Black?
Liam
We’ll give you one guess who inspired this name to rise in popularity. We couldn’t get enough of Oasis during their 90s hay day and it looks like we weren’t afraid to show our appreciation for the Gallagher brothers when it came to having kids.
Declan
This one will either come as a huge surprise or not at all. Declan Donnelly burst onto the scene alongside Anthony McPartlin as PJ and Duncan and it looks like they made an instant impact, with Dec inspiring the names of many 90s sprogs.
