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By Lydia Patrick
Life & Trends Reporter
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A woman has sparked debate online after sharing a list of '90s baby names she believes are due for a revival, but do you agree with her nostalgic picks?
Kemmer Tonne (@kemmerrose), 30, a registered nurse, has long held a fascination with baby names. But her interest deepened when she became pregnant with her son two years ago.
Tonne told Newsweek: "I have a nostalgia for '90s names since I was born in 1994. Many '90s names feel like an outdated trend that has come and gone, but the names I picked are so classic and timeless that I don't think they should have ever gone out of style. I wanted to make the video to remind people that there are some hidden gems that people have written off as 'too '90s' or 'too millennial.'"
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In her TikTok video, which has garnered almost 2 million views, Tonne lists several baby girl names that she believes deserve a second life. Among her top picks are Jenna, Carly, Corinne, Samantha, Paige, Molly, and Tess.
She argues that, while some names like Samantha and Paige may feel strongly tied to the '90s era, they still align with the current naming trends of sweet, vintage-sounding names such as Violet and Hazel. Others, like Corinne and Tess, Tonne says, were never wildly popular, making them ideal candidates for rediscovery.
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"As for the '90s baby names video, some of the names I chose have special meaning to me—for example, Molly was my best friend's name growing up. Samantha was my favorite American Girl Doll. I went to high school with a Corinne, Tess, and Paige," she added.
Expert Insight
Jo Hayes, an etiquette specialist with a background in speech-language pathology and a focus on social-language trends, told Newsweek that Tonne is tapping into a real shift.
"I think this baby-name expert is bang on trend. Firstly, all things '90 are so in right now," Hayes said. "So it makes sense that names such as Carly and Samantha are ripe for the baby-name picking," she added.
Hayes said that baby name trends tend to follow a cyclical pattern. She also pointed out that the current absence of these names in classrooms actually makes them more appealing. While the last few decades saw a boom in unique spellings—think Eliza/Elizah, Aubrey/Aubree, and McKayla/Mikayla—that trend is now waning. "It's no longer unique to have a unique spelling of a classic name," Hayes said.
Instead, parents are beginning to seek comfort, familiarity, and a return to more "normal" spellings and styles. Hayes said that the '90s-era names strike a balance between that sense of tradition and a soft, nostalgic charm.
"The world is yearning for comfort, 'normalcy' and tradition," Hayes added. "And while Jenna, Samantha and Carlee are not quite as traditional as Charlotte, Margaret and Victoria, the '90s comfort factor is certainly working in their favor."
Hayes added that 30 to 40 years generally needs to pass before names from a given era become popular again.
"The current generation of Samanthas, Carlys and Jennas are millennials," Hayes said. "To bring back these names any sooner would have been too soon. Still considered slightly dated." But with unique spellings like Rylee and Kaitlyn fading out, names such as Jenna and Paige could be ready for a comeback.
Tonne, however, said that we are likely not there yet. "From what I can tell, there isn't much data to show '90s names coming back in popularity.
"I don't think enough time has passed to make them seem 'cool' again. I think that is because people having babies now were born in the '90s and they know too many people with those names. Right now, vintage names are making a comeback. So maybe it will take one more generation before '90s names make their comeback," Tonne said.
TikTok Reacts
Internet viewers had plenty to say. Some users agreed that the '90s names deserve another chance, while others admitted they still have baggage from high school.
"All the millennials having babies right now are too traumatized by girls in school that bullied them with those names to name their own kids after any popular 90s names," posted Alyssa Arnold.
Others shared their enduring love for specific names. "I love the name Rachel," said Christy.
"I've always loved the name Molly," added Hayley.
"My name is Michelle and I feel it's so 90s but never hear of it anymore," noted Michelle.
Some even revealed that they have already revived the names. "I named my daughter Lauren! She's now 3 and she wears it really well! We haven't met a young Lauren yet but everyone approaches her name with familiarity (obvi)," posted Kirby.
"Kimberly is one of those 90s names I LOVE," commented Kristin.
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