These Beloved ’90s Baby Names Are Disappearing From Birth Registries, and the Numbers Reveal Just How Much Naming Trends Have Changed

Names that once seemed to be everywhere in school classrooms, birthday parties, and family photo albums are becoming increasingly uncommon choices for newborns. A report published by the New York Post on September 17, 2026, examined how several popular names from the 1990s have fallen in the rankings over the past three decades. The findings, based on research by baby brand Nuby using data from the United Kingdom’s Office for National Statistics, highlight a striking change in parents’ naming preferences. Some names that once ranked near the top have slipped hundreds or even thousands of places.

The trend does not mean that people already carrying these names are disappearing, nor does it establish that the names will never return. Instead, it shows that fewer parents are choosing certain once-fashionable names for their children. The distinction matters because a name can remain familiar to millions of adults while becoming increasingly unusual among babies. That generational shift is what makes the latest rankings particularly interesting.

Courtney Has Experienced the Steepest Fall Among the Girls’ Names

Courtney stands out as the biggest decliner in Nuby’s comparison of girls’ names that reached the top 20 in England and Wales during the late 1990s. According to the original New York Post report, the name fell from its highest ranking of 17th in 1998 to 2,278th in 2025, a drop of 2,261 places. That is a remarkable reversal for a name that once belonged to the mainstream of British baby naming. It now sits far outside the ranks of the names most commonly chosen for newborn girls.

The figures come from Nuby’s analysis of three decades of official baby-name rankings, rather than a prediction that Courtney will vanish entirely. Rankings measure a name’s position relative to others, so a steep fall does not, by itself, reveal the precise number of babies given that name. Nevertheless, the comparison illustrates how quickly a once-familiar choice can lose ground. For parents who remember the 1990s, Courtney may feel much more common than today’s birth statistics suggest.

Shannon Has Also Fallen More Than 2,000 Places

Shannon experienced a similarly dramatic decline in the same study. The name ranked 11th in 1996, but by 2025 it had dropped to 2,138th, representing a fall of 2,127 places. Its trajectory places it among the most striking examples of a girls’ name losing popularity across the period examined. Shannon’s earlier ranking shows that it was not a fringe choice when the decade began.

The comparison is especially revealing because Shannon and Courtney were once prominent enough to appear near the top of the rankings. Their present positions demonstrate how strongly naming preferences can shift between generations. A name that feels familiar to parents and grandparents may sound less fashionable to people choosing names today. That does not make either name less meaningful; it simply reflects a change in what new parents are selecting.

Danielle Has Slipped Far From Its Former Position

Danielle is another former favorite that has moved substantially down the rankings. Nuby’s figures place it at 20th in 1996, compared with 1,454th in 2025, a decline of 1,434 places. Although the drop is smaller than Courtney’s or Shannon’s, it still represents a major change in its position. Danielle once ranked among the most popular girls’ names in the period studied, but it now sits much farther down the list.

Lauren tells a similar story, despite having started from an even higher position. The name ranked fifth in 1996 before falling to 1,166th in 2025, a loss of 1,161 places. These figures show that the names losing ground were not all obscure choices from the edges of the charts. Some had been among the leading options for parents, making their later declines especially noticeable.

Megan Has Dropped Despite Its Late-1990s Popularity

Megan was one of the standout girls’ names near the end of the 1990s, ranking third in both 1998 and 1999 in England and Wales. By 2025, however, it had fallen to 816th in Nuby’s comparison, a decline of 813 places from its highest position during the period studied. That shift places Megan well outside the group of names that dominate today’s baby-name charts. It also shows that a name can remain strongly associated with one generation without maintaining the same appeal among the next.

Other girls’ names in the study followed the same direction, although their declines varied in size. Jade fell 728 places to 747th, Katie dropped 638 places to 650th, and Bethany slipped 574 places to 585th. Rebecca and Amy also declined, falling 405 and 357 places respectively. Together, these examples suggest that the change extends beyond a handful of unusually steep drops.

Rebecca and Amy Show That the Trend Extends Beyond the Biggest Decliners

Rebecca reached eighth place in the late-1990s comparison period, while Amy reached ninth, making both familiar choices for parents at the time. By 2025, Rebecca had fallen to 413th and Amy to 366th in the rankings used by Nuby. Their declines were less severe than those recorded for Courtney and Shannon, but the direction was similar. Even names that once occupied the top 10 were no longer positioned as highly in the latest figures.

The figures also offer a useful reminder that a fall in ranking does not mean a name has become exceptionally rare in everyday life. Rebecca and Amy may still be familiar names among adults, relatives, coworkers, and friends. The ranking only describes their position among names given to babies in a particular year and region. That difference helps explain why people’s memories of a name’s popularity may not match the latest statistics.

Boys’ Names Have Generally Held Their Ground Better

The pattern was not equally pronounced across the two groups examined in Nuby’s research. The study found that the selected boys’ names generally experienced smaller drops in ranking than the girls’ names. Some familiar boys’ names declined substantially, but none of the 10 listed in Nuby’s biggest falls dropped thousands of places. That contrast is one of the clearest findings in the comparison.

It is important to interpret that result within the study’s limits. Nuby selected names that had reached the top 20 between 1996 and 1999, then compared their strongest ranking during those years with their 2025 position. The results describe that particular selection of names, rather than every boys’ and girls’ name used during the decade. Even so, the difference highlights how varied the fortunes of once-popular names can be.

Connor Leads the Decline Among the Selected Boys’ Names

Connor recorded the largest drop among the boys’ names included in Nuby’s comparison. It ranked 11th in 1998, but by 2025 it had fallen to 299th, a loss of 288 places. That is a considerable change for a name that once sat close to the top of the rankings. Unlike the sharpest declines among girls’ names, however, Connor remained much closer to the upper end of the chart.

Callum and Jordan also experienced notable falls over the same broad period. Callum moved from eighth place in 1998 to 251st in 2025, while Jordan fell from 10th place in 1997 and 1998 to 248th. Their declines show that boys’ names have not been immune to changing tastes. Rather, the movement in this selected group was less dramatic than the falls seen among the most affected girls’ names.

Lewis and Jake Have Also Lost Significant Ground

Lewis and Jake round out the most substantial declines among the boys’ names in Nuby’s selected group. Lewis fell from 13th place to 231st between its late-1990s high and 2025, a drop of 218 positions. Jake slipped from 18th to 235th, losing 217 places. Both names remain on the rankings, but neither holds the position it once enjoyed.

The figures underline how a name can move out of fashion without becoming unfamiliar or disappearing altogether. Parents may still encounter Lewis and Jake among older children and adults, even as fewer newborns receive those names relative to competing choices. The rankings capture the difference between a name’s established presence in a generation and its current appeal to new parents. That distinction is central to understanding the study.

Matthew, Ryan, and Luke Have Declined More Gradually

Matthew, Ryan, and Luke also appear among the boys’ names that have fallen in ranking. Matthew moved from sixth place to 153rd, a decline of 147 places, while Ryan dropped from seventh to 135th, losing 128 positions. Luke fell from 11th to 131st, a reduction of 120 places. Their changes are substantial, but they are far less dramatic than the steepest drops recorded among the girls’ names.

Daniel and Samuel complete Nuby’s list of 10 boys’ names with the largest declines in the selected group. Daniel fell from second place to 62nd, while Samuel moved from seventh to 66th. Both names remain comparatively high in the rankings despite losing ground over time. Their positions show that declining popularity can take several forms, from a move outside the top 10 to a much smaller change in overall standing.

The Official Records Cover England and Wales, Not the United States

The geographical scope of the findings is crucial to understanding what the numbers actually mean. The Office for National Statistics’ official 2025 baby-name release covers births registered in England and Wales and provides rankings and counts for boys’ and girls’ names. Nuby used the agency’s historical series, which runs from 1996 through 2025, to compare names over time. The findings therefore describe naming trends in that region of the United Kingdom.

Those results should not be presented as proof that the same names are disappearing at the same rate in America or elsewhere. Countries can have different naming traditions, cultural influences, and patterns of popularity. In the United States, for example, the Social Security Administration maintains a separate database of names recorded on Social Security card applications. Its official rankings for the 1990s show Jessica as the most frequently recorded girls’ name and Michael as the leading boys’ name for that decade. Those American figures provide useful context, but they do not verify the British rankings.

Some Names From the 1990s Have Continued to Thrive

Not every name associated with the 1990s has experienced a steep decline. Nuby’s analysis identifies Olivia as a notable survivor, describing it as the most popular girls’ name in England and Wales in 2025. The name ranked 24th in 1996 before rising into the top five by 1999 and eventually reaching first place. Its trajectory offers a striking contrast with the steep falls recorded for Courtney, Shannon, and Danielle.

Charlotte has also retained a strong position over time. It reached sixth place in both 1998 and 1999 before ranking 25th in 2025. Although it no longer occupied the same peak position in that year’s figures, it remained a prominent choice. The contrast suggests that names from the same broad era can have very different futures, with some continuing to appeal to parents long after others have faded.

The Next Generation May Bring Some of These Names Back

A decline in popularity does not necessarily mark the end of a name’s story. Nuby’s research points to Oliver and George as boys’ names that have moved upward compared with their late-1990s positions. Oliver ranked 19th at its highest point in the study’s 1996–1999 window but stood sixth in 2025, while George climbed from 17th in 1998 to seventh in 2025. Their progress shows that names can regain ground even when other once-popular choices are moving in the opposite direction.

The broader lesson is that naming fashions are not permanent. A name that feels dated to one generation may eventually appeal to parents looking for something familiar but less commonly chosen among their peers. Courtney, Shannon, Danielle, Lauren, and Megan could remain less popular, or their fortunes could change in the years ahead; the current rankings alone cannot predict which outcome will occur. For now, the figures offer a revealing snapshot of how quickly baby-name preferences can transform, even when the names themselves remain familiar to millions of people.