A study by Nuby, a global baby brand based in the UK, reveals significant declines in popularity for certain '90s baby names over the past three decades. For girls, "Courtney," "Shannon," and "Danielle" have each dropped thousands of places since their peak in the late 1990s; specifically, Courtney fell from 17th to 2,278th place. On the boys' side, names like “Connor,” “Callum,” and “Jordan” saw dramatic declines, with Connor dropping from 11th to 299th place. The study uses data from the Office for National Statistics to track these changes in name popularity.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-17,
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Story summary
In a recent study by Nuby, a global baby brand, 'Courtney,' 'Shannon,' and 'Danielle,' which were once very popular girl names in the late 1990s, have drastically declined in popularity over the past three decades. According to data from the UK's Office for National Statistics spanning 30 years, 'Courtney' fell from its peak at 17th place in 1998 to 2,278th place in 2025, a decline of 2,261 places. 'Shannon,' which peaked at 11th in 1996, dropped to 2,138th by 2025, a fall of 2,127 places. 'Danielle' went from its peak position at 20th in 1996 to 1,454th place in 2025, representing a decline of 1,434 places. This study highlights how naming trends can change dramatically over time.
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Much like dinosaurs, hieroglyphics and button-up shoes, a faction of formerly popular first names from the 1990s — names once considered da bomb — are now doomed to extinction, warns a startling new study.
asserted
study → button → extinction
“Courtney,” “Shannon” and “Danielle” surface as the top 3 girl names on the mommy chopping block this year, each falling thousands of place since their peak popularity three decades ago, per recent findings from Nuby, a global baby brand.
asserted
each → surface → Nuby
“Courtney had the biggest fall out of the girls’ names analyzed, dropping 2,261 places from its highest ranking in the 90s — 17th in 1998 to 2,278th in 2025,” the report reveals.
asserted
report → have → 2025
“Shannon has had a similar fall, dropping 2,127 places from 11th in 1996 to 2,138th,” it reads, “while Danielle has dropped 1,434 places, from 20th in 1996 to 1,454th.”
asserted
Danielle → have → 1,454th
Researchers, based in the UK, examined 30 years of baby naming data via the Office for National Statistics to determine which names have fallen from glory since just before the new millennium.
asserted
names → base → millennium
The investigators reviewed both the boy and girl names that reached the top 20 between 1996 and 1999, comparing each name’s highest ranking during this period with its 2025 ranking.
asserted
that → review → ranking
Joining “Courtney” and company on the uncool roster are ‘90s hot-now-not masculine names “Connor,” “Callum” and “Jordan,” taking the first-, second- and third-place positions in the boys only roundup, respectively.
asserted
names → join → roundup
“Connorhas fallen the most places among the boys’ names analyzed from 11 th in 1998 to 299 th in 2025, which is a drop of 288 places,” noted the experts.
asserted
experts → fall → places
“Callum, once ranked 8th in 1998, now sits at 251st, while Jordan has dropped from 10th in both 1997 and 1998 to 248th in 2025.
asserted
Jordan → rank → 2025
The ugly fate of names that were once sitting pretty on the lost contradicts society’s current obsession with the hottest fads of the ‘90s and early aughts.
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that → sit → ‘
But when it comes to crowning their kiddos, the mommies and daddies of New York City and beyond are looking far beyond the era dominated by Beanie Babies and the Spice Girls.
asserted
mommies → come → Babies
Surprisingly, even older old-school names, such as Olivia and Liam, continue to reign supreme among new and expecting parents in the US, according to statistics via the Social Security Administration.
uncertain
names → continue → Administration
Still, when it comes to what they’ll call their little cuties, tastemakers with appetites for the unique are thinking outside the box — and outside of American borders.
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tastemakers → come → borders
Kasai, meaning “fire” in Japanese and Swahili, is steadily rising as a voguish boy name, while Klarity, a misspelling of the word “clarity,” is fast-becoming all the rage for girls.
asserted
Klarity → mean → girls
Check out the top 10 girl and top 10 boy names of the 1990s that are now totally wack.
asserted
that → check → 1990s
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