23 Baby Names Inspired By Millennial Pop Culture That Weirdly Hold Up

The patron saint of millennial girls, Lizzie McGuire, absolutely deserves a spot on this list. While Lizzie is short for Elizabeth, I think the nickname works just as well on its own, and it gives an incredibly playful but confident vibe — just like our favorite Disney Channel girl.

The way my sister and I circled every single thing in every Delia*s catalogue from the ‘90s and early aughts can not be overstated. So bring some of that energy to your own babe with the name Delia. (Bonus point: It works for Beetlejuice fans, too.)

“Tuh-Tuh-Tuh-TORRANCE! Your captain Torrance!” I’m sorry, you’ll absolutely be saying your child’s name like that constantly, but it’s well worth it. Torrance from Bring it On really wanted to do the right thing — even if it meant going against her own friends and dreams — and that’s for sure an energy you want for your little girl.

OK, so Xander was the goofy, immature bestie in Buffy the Vampire Slayer, but he was still incredibly loyal, brave, and always ready to do what’s right. Xander is a shortened version of Alexander, but choosing this moniker to stand on its own feels delightfully ‘90s and so cool.

As Told by Ginger on Nickelodeon taught me so many life lessons (it’s why, to this day, I know that lice prefer clean hair over dirty hair), so the name Ginger has forever been seared into my memory. She’s the kind of girl we all were at one point, or strived to be: always genuine, even when she was feeling a little insecure or nervous. Plus, the name Ginger just gives off fun, spunky vibes.

Nobody wanted to be loved by Landon Carter from A Walk to Remember more than me, I swear. Landon is the quintessential bad boy, reformed by the angel Mandy Moore and true love. Landon is the ultimate ’90s “it guy” name, but the layer of sweetness from this pop culture reference is really what makes it so good.

Eliza Thornberry of The Wild Thornberrys was pretty much the epitome of a strong, smart girl. I so desperately wanted to be like her when I was a kid — and obviously wanted to be part of her family — and the name Eliza really holds up well. Like Lizzie, it’s considered a nickname of Elizabeth, but has a spunk all on its own.

Otto Rocket from Nickelodeon’s Rocket Power was intense and wild and fun, and honestly, it’s time we bring that energy back into the world with his name. How cool and spunky is Otto? It has German roots, and the name means “wealth, prosperity.”

Charmed brought a lot into the world, but giving tween me the idea that Piper was the coolest name in the world for a girl?That might be my favorite contribution. Piper holds up extremely well, and just has such a carefree, funky vibe to it. (With a little witchiness thrown in there, obvs.)

Oh, Chuckie. He might’ve been the biggest scaredy cat in the Rugrats gang, but he was forever pushing past his fears to be there for his friends — and for himself. Chuckie is also just a delightfully different name, and shortening it to Chuck is especially cool.

OK, so maybe you’ll be saying “Hello, Sidney” like Ghostface in Scream, but it could be worth it? Sidney Prescott put up with a lot of nonsense in the ’90s (and honestly, she continues to do so). She’s pretty much the queen of millennial movie culture. But luckily, Sidney is a great baby name even without the association to a Wes Craven movie, and has a sweet, endearing quality to it. It also means “wide meadow.”

We’re bringing back the name Doug; I’m calling it right now. It helps that Doug, the title character of his show Doug, was so lovable and kind. He just wanted to be liked, he wanted to be a good dude, and he wanted to be with Patti Mayonnaise forever. I mean, how much better does it get? Oh, wait, he was also a Renaissance man with an alter ego, Quail Man, and routinely showed up in his own daydreams with epic skills and talent. Yeah, he’s the best.

Clarissa Explains It All was huge and transformative for me as a kid, and she made me feel like I could do and be anything. She was totally her own person, genuine and full of confidence. I wanted to be just like her! That energy should absolutely be conveyed to your own baby girl with the name Clarissa. It’s just so fun.

Speaking of cool, was there anyone more cool than Claudia Kishi of The Baby-Sitters Club series? The girl was an artist, with her own phone line and candy stashed all over her room. I mean, come on.

DJ was an abbreviated name of Donna Jo, the eldest sister of the Tanner girls in Full House. I honestly consider her the ultimate eldest daughter in ‘90s pop culture — she really set a lot of the standards for girls who grew up in that decade. Whether you choose Donna Jo or some other D and J names for this nickname, you can’t go wrong with this nickname-y name.

Another witchy name, Sabrina is having a moment once again — thanks, Sabrina Carpenter! — but we all know Sabrina the Teenage Witch is the OG icon. Resourceful, strong, confident… all the things you want in your own kiddo.

Elle Woods has received a whole lot of recognition over the past few years as Legally Blonde makes many comebacks, but the name Elle has always held up. It feels a little more formal and mature than Ella or Ellie, and I love how it goes with a wide range of last names.

Oh, Dawson. You had great hair, you were full of angst, and you had a brooding face that could melt our knees — you deserve a baby name comeback. Dawson already had a huge jump in the ‘90s as Dawson’s Creek took off, but we should still give this baby boy name the sweet recognition it deserves.

Anybody who saw Center Stage immediately fell in love with Zoe Saldana’s character Eva. Unbelievably talented with an attitude that exceeded it all, she felt real and strong and incredibly cool and smart. What else could you want in a baby name? Eva matches some of the trendy baby names right now, but still has its own spunk and vibe.

Surely nobody will call your baby Josie Grossie, but if they do, show them the perfect (albeit a little weird in retrospect) 1999 movie Never Been Kissed to see what happens when you’re just a good, empathetic, nice human being. Josie genuinely is such a sweet name, and it’s timeless — it sounds right on a tiny baby and a great-grandmother.

Never once did I think the name Arnold was meant for a kid until I fell in love with Hey Arnold! on Nickelodeon as a child. Arnold has a layer of tragedy to him, yet he never stops being the kind, smart kid he’s always meant to be — and anybody who has as many friends as he does (and a stalker-like crush building shrines for him) deserves to have their name amplified.

Another witchy one for the list, Willow from Buffy the Vampire Slayer was fiercely loyal and protective of her friends, but also regularly called them out on their shit when she needed to — and was wicked smart when she did it. I just love the name Willow, and it has a perfectly ethereal, nature-like quality to it that carries well, even if you don’t always want it associated with Buffy.

The Proud Family was another epic Disney Channel show that featured a family with a strong daughter at the helm, and that was Penny Proud. She was 14, desperate to be independent, but always maintaining a strong sense of family with a deep connection to her parents, Suga Mama, and siblings. She was pretty perfect, and the name Penny exemplifies all of that and more.