Biggest Name Fads of the Last 40 Years

Popularity of the name Kobe rose between 1996 and 2000, likely due to basketball player Kobe Bryant’s athletic achievements. After Bryant’s death in January 2020, the name fad struck again.

Tristan, the name of the hero of the medieval legend of Tristan and Iseult, and also the name given by Thomas Malory to one of the knights of the Round Table in “Le Morte d’Arthur.” The name may or may not be associated with the Latin word “tristis,” sad. It’s probably no coincidence that the 1994 film “Legends of the Fall” starred Brad Pitt as a character named Tristan Ludlow.

Tristin is a variation on Tristan. Some parents choose to alter or omit vowels in order to make their baby’s name unique, which may account for this alternate spelling.

This is yet another variation on Tristan, with another minor variation in spelling.

Zion is a biblical place name – the name of a hill in Jerusalem that became a synonym for city and ultimately for Israel itself. It has also been adopted as a place name in the U.S. (for instance, Zion National Park in Utah) and elsewhere. It first became popular in 1997 when rapper and singer Lauryn Hill named her son Zion, celebrating his birth the following year with a song called “To Zion.”

In 1990, Mariah Carey’s “Vision of Love” topped charts, propelling the singer to fame. Carey’s memorable talents resulted in thousands of parents using her as namesake when christening their children.

The name Adaline, which has German origins, means “noble.” While it’s unclear whether something in pop culture inspired the sudden popularity of Adaline, it’s possible that Blake Lively’s 2015 film “The Age of Adaline” boosted the fad.

Sheena is an Irish name that means “God’s gracious gift.” Singer Sheena Easton likely inspired the baby name fad when her single “Morning Train (Nine to Five)” topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the early ’80s.

Devonte comes from Spanish meaning “fighter of wrongs,” or “defender.” DeVante Swing, a ’90s singer, producer, and member of the music group Jodeci, may have inspired the fad for this name. Future basketball player Devonte Brown was born during the height of this fad.

Mya is an alternate spelling of the name Maya. Maya comes from the word meaning “water” in Hebrew, and “mother” or “great one” in Greek. In 1998, the R&B singer Mya was featured in the hit “Ghetto Superstar,” which helped bring this baby name fad to life.

To see the impact of reality TV on pop culture, look no further than the baby name Bentley. In 2008, Maci Bookout of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant” named her son Bentley Cadence Edwards. This launched a significant trend of babies with the name.

Cierra is an alternate spelling of the name Sierra, which means “saw” and, by extension, “mountain range”in Spanish. While there is no obvious explanation for the popularity of this baby name, some speculate that the soft “Ci” sound of the name makes it a popular choice.

Canadian R&B singer Tamia Hill not only earned a Grammy nomination, but also inspired the name of many baby girls born in the late ’90s. In actuality, Tamia means “chipmunk” in French – but rather than evoking that little squirrel relative, some parents apparently use the name as a shortened form of Tamara or Tamika.

The name Amaya has Spanish, Basque, and Japanese origins, with translations ranging from “mother city” to “heavenly valley” to “night rain.” Spanish female basketball player Amaya Valdemoro was drafted into the WNBA in 1998, just before the name rose to popularity.

Miley Cyrus portrayed “Hannah Montana” on the Disney Channel, debuting in 2006. The singer and actress quickly garnered fandom, causing her name to spike in popularity.

The name Kayla has Yiddish, Hebrew, and Arabic roots, and can mean “slim and fair” or “laurel crown.” The name reached its peak popularity during the early ’80s, likely thanks to Kayla Brady, a fictional character on the soap opera “Days of Our Lives.”

This baby name can thank two pop culture references for becoming a fad in the ’90s: the Mexican telenovela “Alondra,” which debuted in 1995, and the Mexican Grupero singer Alondra. Alondra means “lark,” the melodious song bird with yellow and black facial markings, and is also a shortened form of Alejandra.

Dawson became a popular baby name thanks to fans of the TV show “Dawson’s Creek” in the late ’90s. Dawson Leery was the male protagonist of the popular soapy teen drama, which ran from 1998 to 2003.

In the last decade, the name Jayceon gained traction, likely due to rapper Jayceon Taylor. Jayceon is a variation of Jason and Jayce, which were also popular during the same time period. Jayceon has Greek origins, and means “to heal” or “healer.”

Grammy winner and country music star Shania Twain is to thank for this baby name fad. In 1995, Twain’s album “The Woman in Me” became a hit and a symbol of girl power. Shania, which means “on my way” in the Ojibwa language, was inspired for the singer by Twain’s stepfather’s Native American ancestry.

“One in a Million,” “Are You That Somebody,” and “Rock That Boat,” are a few of the late singer Aliyah’s hits from the ’90s and early 2000s. Aliyah’s talents inspired a baby name fad throughout the mid ’90s.

The Ashanti are a West African ethnic group, and the Ashanti Empire was a powerful and sophisticated African state between 1701 and 1901. While this may be the source of the name for some African-American families, its popularity probably also relates to singer and actress Ashanti, who was featured in two hit songs in 2002 – “What’s Luv?” by Fat Joe, and “Always on Time,” by Ja Rule. She released a Grammy-winning album of her own the same year.

Does the name Nevaeh have a divine ring to it? If so, that might be because Neveah is “heaven” spelled backwards. While Nevaeh is not technically from the Bible, the name has been embraced by Evangelical Christians.

The name Kiara has multiple, opposite meanings. One meaning is a variation of the Italian “chiara” which means “light,” while in Irish, the name Ciara means “dark” or “black.” In 1988, the R&B duo Kiara and Shanice rose to No. 2 on the charts with their hit “This Time,” likely giving impetus to this baby name fad.

In the early ’80s, the TV show “Family Ties” inspired a number of baby name fads – including this one. Mallory, played by Justine Bateman, was the elder daughter in the fictional Keaton family in the sitcom. The name can be of Irish origin, but is also derived from an Anglo-Norman term meaning “unlucky” or “unhappy.”