Are ‘90s names going extinct, and how do you choose the perfect baby name? - One Day You’ll Thank Me

Could 90s kids' names soon be as uncool as skinny jeans? Photo / Getty Images

Welcome to season five of the Herald’s parenting podcast: One Day You’ll Thank Me. Join parent and host Jenni Mortimer and weekly guest hosts as they navigate the challenges and triumphs of parenting today with help from experts and well-known mums and dads from across Aotearoa.

Choosing a name for your child is arguably one of the most debated and agonising choices you make while eagerly awaiting the arrival of your offspring.

If you choose an old-fashioned name, do you limit your child to careers where they are surrounded by mahogany and the scent of old books - thus leaving no room for a career as an alternative musician or NFT reseller?

If you choose a name too “unique”, do you leave your child without the option of pursuing dentistry due to their name Candy, or wrong their desires by calling them Flash when they have an affinity for bean bags and video games?

In this week’s episode of One Day You’ll Thank Me, host Jenni Mortimer and guest host - and host of The Parenting Hangover - Clint Roberts debate just this. They also find out how terribly unpopular their names, and so many other 90s gems, have become.

In the 90s the name Sarah was everywhere - everyone had at least two in their class, who were differentiated only by the first letter of their last name.

However, the ever-so-popular name, which ranks at number 4 in New Zealand’s all-time most popular female names list, came in at a sad 147 in the popularity charts in 2022.

As for Jennifer, it didn’t even make the charts - fewer than 10 people were named Jennifer in New Zealand in 2022. Nevertheless, the name still sits at 11th in the all-time Kiwi female name ranking.

But host Mortimer admits that for her own son, she didn’t want a popular name and found her son’s name, Knox, on Pinterest under a list of “cowboy names”.

“I wanted him to have a strong name. I had quite a common name and I wanted him to have something that was short, punchy and strong.”

She also admits she liked how it looked written down and that it just “felt right”.

Meanwhile, Clint admits he and wife Lucy tried a Tinder-style app name approach to help pick names, but eventually landed on Tūī and Maggie for their two girls.

“Tūī kind of felt right at the time - the house that we were living in had these two tūī that lived in the tree in front of our house that we saw every day, which we sort of kind of saw as symbolic,” he shared.

“I have no idea how we came up with Maggie’s name. I like Maggie because it’s kind of old-timey.”

Clint and Lucy may have been unintentionally on-trend with the pick, with The Mirror in the UK reporting that parents are currently fixated on names that could define their kids’ identities and their future, with “old-fashioned” names rising in popularity.

Arthur, Duncan, Florence, Stanley and Sylvia were all on the rise as parents embrace the trend in the UK.

For more on baby name trends, how to choose a name and why you probably shouldn’t call your name your child Methamphetamine Rules for the sake of journalism, listen to this week’s episode of One Day You’ll Thank Me.

• Listen to today’s episode of One Day You’ll Thank Me below for more on trying to find that work-life balance.
• You can follow the podcast at iHeartRadio, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes are out every Thursday.
• Want to get in touch with the podcast? Email the team at odytm@nzme.co.nz.