11 Hot ‘90s Men That Completely Influenced Baby Names
Some names didn’t really exist until these guys did.
I can't think of any major heartthrob actors in mainstream movies and TV these days. I can think of plenty of good-looking actors and characters I love, sure — but it's not like it was in the '90s, a decade full of entertainment in which the entire world felt fully invested. Everybody knew Denzel Washington, everybody watched Friends, and ~everybody~ had a crush on Tristan in Legends of the Fall. And that kind of '90s star power meant pregnant people were also getting inspired to name their babies.
Look, the '90s were full of a whole lot of Matts and Sams and Jacks. Even in some of the most impactful movies of the '90s (looking at you, Titanic), the characters have names that were already on the most popular baby names list. But there were a few big-time characters and actors who seriously changed the course of some baby names. Like, baby names that were barely a blip on the radar were suddenly some of the most popular names in the country thanks to these floppy-haired, debonair, smoldering '90s men.
And honestly, it's high time we brought back some of these names. Not just because they're great baby names (Dawson is literally so cute), but because they are a sweet homage to the magic of '90s Hollywood and the power of a real friend. Could we be any more in love here?
Tristan, Legends of the Fall (1994)
1994’s Legends of the Fall starred a very hunky Brad Pitt with very, very good hair, and the movie launched thousands of baby Tristans. In 1994, the year of the movie’s release, the baby name Tristan was already sitting at a nice #452 out of the top 1000 baby names for boys. In 1995? The name Tristan hit #121.
Dawson, Dawson’s Creek (1998)
There's something about good, swoon-worthy hair that inspired all the pregnant women, because Dawson quickly became a top name after Dawson's Creek hard-launched James Van Der Beek — a certified hottie if Tiger Beat ever saw one — as the dreamy teen series' title character. The name Dawson was just barely squeaking by at #734 in 1997, but by the time the show was a hit in 1998, the name was #175.
Bailey, Party of Five 1994
Party of Five is emotional enough to watch, but imagine being pregnant and watching the big Salinger brothers help raise all their younger siblings? It’s no wonder the name Bailey took off for boys during this time. The show premiered in 1994, and the name Bailey jumped from #947 to #769. By 1995, a year into the show, the name Bailey was at #277. I blame it on Scott Wolf’s hair.
Chandler, Friends 1994
Could he be any more perfect? The baby name Chandler is a proven gender-neutral name thanks to Frank Jr. and Alice letting Phoebe name one of the triplets, but Chandler Bing also sent this name up on the charts after the hit sitcom Friends premiered in 1994. That year, the baby name Chandler was #348 for boys out of the top 1000 baby names. In 1995, it had jumped up to #177.
Sebastian, Cruel Intentions 1999
Sebastian is an incredibly classic name and has been in the baby name mix for literal centuries, but I like to think its jump in the late ‘90s was because of Sebastian Valmont from Cruel Intentions, played by Ryan Phillippe. Was he a “good guy”? Not... entirely. But he had major growth through the movie and was hot AF, so why not name your own baby boy after him? Sebastian was sitting at #152 when the movie premiered in 1999, but by 2000, it had jumped to #81.
Will, Good Will Hunting (1997)
Will is obviously a traditional name that’s been all over the place when it comes to popularity, but it’s often seen just as the shortened version of William. But I’d like to go to the charts and show that when Good Will Hunting came out in 1997 — and put both Matt Damon and Ben Affleck on the map — the name got a serious jump. And not the name William, but just Will. The name Will had been hovering in the 600s for a few years, but between 1997 and 1998, the name jumped 56 spots.
Keanu, Speed (1994)
OK, so the problem with a lot of hot characters in the ‘90s is that they have supremely boring names like Matt or Sam or, as in the case of Speed, Jack. But this 1994 movie was huge for its stars, especially Keanu Reeves, and I think a bunch of pregnant, horny ladies fell in love with him in a big way. Keanu was already a known actor, but come on — there’s nothing like Keanu in Speed. Up until 1994, the name wasn’t even in the top 1000. And then it jumped from #756 to #537 after the movie’s premiere. Whoa.
Ethan, Dead Poets Society (1989)
Another hot actor who had a pivotal movie role with a boring character name? Ethan Hawke. He had already been making acting strides, but when Dead Poets Society was released in 1989, it was officially on. Ethan was also a pretty popular name at that point, but the movie came out in 1989, and the name jumped from #261 in 1988 to #87 in 1989 and then #58 in 1990. Oh Captain, my Captain, indeed.
Denzel Washington, 1990
Denzel Washington has been nominated for many awards, is considered one of the greatest actors of all time, and is an absolute force to be reckoned with. And I guess a whole lot of pregnant people felt so, too, because in 1990 — the year he won the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for Glory — the name Denzel hit the top 1000 baby names list for the first time at #444. It got more popular over the early ‘90s and then stalled out a bit, but I just love the idea that so many baby Denzels are around because of the OG.
Kiefer Sutherland, 1990
Kiefer Sutherland was everywhere in the ‘80s, and his name was well known. Like many other actors, his character names were less than ideal for a baby (or super boring), but I would wager that a bunch of people loved him enough to just name their baby after Kiefer himself. The name wasn’t on the top 1000 list at all before 1990, and then it showed up at #855 and climbed to #710 in 1991.
River Phoenix, 1994
I hate to end on a bummer, but sweet, beautiful River Phoenix had been mega popular all through the ‘80s and then died tragically on Halloween 1993. But I have a feeling his death inspired a whole lot of baby Rivers because the name wasn’t in the top 1000 list at all until 1994, when it hit #927 and then just kept getting more and more popular. RIP to an icon, but hello to an adorable gender-neutral baby name.
The hot guys of the ‘90s were clearly more than just eye candy — they were inspiring. And I like to think the world is a better place with a few more Tristans and Keanus running around. Now if we could just bring back the thick, swoopy bangs.
