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Home / Lifestyle

Are these popular '90s baby names headed for extinction?

By Chantelle Francis - news.com.au
news.com.au·
19 Feb, 2022 08:55 PM4 mins to read

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Recent data out of Australia reveals that the nostalgic love of all things '90s does not extend to baby names. Photo / Getty Images

Recent data out of Australia reveals that the nostalgic love of all things '90s does not extend to baby names. Photo / Getty Images

Recent data out of Australia reveals that the nostalgic love of all things '90s does not extend to baby names.

It appears baby names typically used for girls are becoming outdated a lot quicker than those for boys.

There are still plenty of babies being given popular '90s names like Jack, Thomas, Liam, Lucas and James in more recent times, but there are barely any named Jessica, Sarah, Stephanie, Rebecca and Lauren any more.

Looking back 25 years ago in Victoria, government data shows 745 babies were named Jessica and 596 were named Sarah. It made them the most popular names of 1996.

But last year those names didn't even rank on the list of 100 top baby names.

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In fact, 14 out of the 20 most popular girls names in 1996 did not even get a mention on the top 100 list last year.

Eight of the top 20 boys names in 1996 did not get a mention on the top 100 list last year. Photo / Getty Images
Eight of the top 20 boys names in 1996 did not get a mention on the top 100 list last year. Photo / Getty Images

However, that's not to say if you had a popular boys name in the '90s it is still going strong in terms of popularity.

Eight of the top 20 boys names in 1996 did not get a mention on the top 100 list last year.

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They include Michael, Jake, Nathan, Luke, Andrew, Christopher, Mitchell and Dylan.

If your name is Jack, you'd be pleased to know your name doesn't look like it's going to die out anytime soon.

Jack has remained a favourite throughout the decades, actually climbing up the ranking.

In 1996 the name ranked sixth (with a count of 625 babies) and last year it ranked third (with a count of 417) in Victoria.

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In NSW, the name also ranked third last year and was fifth in 1996.

Thomas has also kept up its popularity. The name ranked fifth in 1996 in both Victoria (with a count of 632) and NSW (with a count of 802).

Flash forward to 2021 and Thomas still made the top 10 names in both states. It came in at ninth in Victoria and tenth in NSW.

Just like Jack and Thomas, the female names that have withstood the test of time are Olivia and Chloe.

Olivia ranked second in Victoria and NSW last year, compared to 15th position in Victoria and 22nd in NSW in 1996.

Chloe ranked 12th in Victoria and eighth in NSW last year. In 1996, the name ranked eighth in both Victoria and NSW.

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Top 10 baby names in Victoria in 2021:

1: Oliver and Charlotte
2: Noah and Olivia
3: Jack and Isla
4: Charlie and Amelia
5: Leo and Mia
6: Henry and Ava
7: William and Grace
8: Levi and Matilda
9: Thomas and Zoe
10: Archie and Willow

Top 10 baby names in Victoria in 1996:

1: Matthew and Jessica
2: James and Sarah
3: Joshua and Emily
4: Daniel and Stephanie
5: Thomas and Emma
6: Jack and Georgia
7: Michael and Rebecca
8: Nicholas and Chloe
9: Benjamin and Lauren
10: Jake and Samantha

Top 10 baby names in NSW in 2021:

1: Oliver and Amelia
2: Noah and Olivia
3: Jack and Charlotte
4: Henry and Isla
5: William and Ava
6: Leo and Mia
7: Lucas and Grace
8: Theodore and Chloe
9: Levi and Ella
10: Thomas and Matilda

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Top 10 baby names in NSW in 1996:
1: Joshua and Jessica
2: Daniel and Emily
3: James and Sarah
4: Matthew and Emma
5: Jack and Samantha
6: Thomas and Lauren
7: Nicholas and Georgia
8: Jake and Chloe
9: Luke and Rebecca
10: Michael and Stephanie

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