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Viral TikTok features Millennial equivalent of popular baby names

Certain names just never seem to go out of style. Elizabeth and James, for example, are pretty much the mainstays of modern history. Maybe it's because of the origins they come from or the fact that the parents probably have a relative with that name. Either way, they have have made a name for themselves and probably won't be going anywhere soon. On the other hand, one mom made a brilliant discovery about baby name trends by comparing today's most popular baby names with the popular baby names of millennials.

Carly from @mamadottiemarie on TikTok posted a viral video that explains something we all know to be true but may have never put into words: Some modern names have the same appeal as popular millennial names. She picked the most popular girls' names from her birth year, 1991, and combined each with a modern equivalent, and the results are pretty great. Below, I break down her entertaining and insightful video and share what others had to say.

Millennial baby names compared to today

To explain the phenomenon, Carly begins by saying, “This is what my 90s baby brain, my Millennial mom, thinks of when I hear these top baby names. To me, those are the same vibes.” From there, she shares several popular baby names for girls today. For each, she shares a popular baby name from the '90s that she says “has the same vibe.” Sounds close enough to an exact science to me!

Here's what it came down to:

  • Mia = Amy
  • Amelia = Amanda
  • Evelyn = Elizabeth
  • Penelope = Samantha
  • Addie = Maddie/Maggie
  • Nora = Nicole
  • Harper=Lauren
  • Mila = Megan
  • Scarlett = Jessica
  • Ava = Ashley
  • & more!

Carly shares in a follow-up video that she compared data from her birth year, 1991, with data from today. What's even more fascinating, however, is that their video on popular millennial name equivalents highlights the feelings, associations, and personalities of the names, rather than the exact rank of their popularity. The best part is that her associations and the way she communicates often make you stop and think, “She's absolutely right!” Let's take a look at what others had to say.

What do you think?

Carly ended her video by asking the audience, “What do you think?” about her settings. As always, people had a lot of thoughts. Many completely agreed, adding comments like: “Why does it make so much sense for Harper to be Lauren?” from @Lala4132. @ayyturra added: “Ava=Ashley is SO accurate. I knew a million Ashleys growing up and now I teach a million Avas.”

Some commenters even perfectly confirmed her views in a hilarious way. For example, @miaoneilll commented, “Look, I'm Mia and my mom is Amy 😂.” And @blynnmo shared, “Here I am, a Brittany, with a daughter named Sutton 🫣.”

The other Millennials all but thanked Carly for her service in bringing the concept of Millennial baby names to light. It turns out that this makes sense to many, even if we never noticed it. @kristinajrankin commented: “Ok, that triggered an itch in my brain that I didn't know I had.” Other commenters also added their own associations, which were equally brilliant. Here are some notable additions to the list of popular Millennial names:

  • @mel_weave added Chloe = Katie
  • @stacihaney added Luna = Crystal
  • @cecepaigex added Riley = Taylor
  • @ivyyy151 added Aurora = Alyssa

The follow-ups

Part 2 of Millennial Baby Names

Another thing became very clear in the comments section of Carly's post: some Millennial baby names were left out. Several commenters called for a follow-up that included names like Caitlyn, Katie, Hannah and Chelsea, while a handful asked for a version to be made that addressed boys' names.

Luckily, Carly delivered her first follow-up video.

In the second part of this highly anticipated installation, Carly delves deeper into baby name data. She starts with what she calls “the elephant in the room” – Jennifer, since she didn't bring up that hugely popular name in her first video. Carly explained: “I have thought long and hard about who Jennifer is today. After much thought and review of the data – I looked at names from 1981 to 1991 – Jennifer is today’s Olivia.”

However, Carly stayed true to form and explained that while the data could mean something – e.g. For example, two names might have appeared in the same place on the charts – but the type of personality they exude could be completely different. With that in mind, she said that in her eyes, Jennifer is the Avery of today. She then shares what the data says and what her opinion is on it. This is what we get:

  • Kayla = Sofia based on the data, but Layla or Luna based on the mood
  • Rachel = Eleanor based on data, but Abigail based on sentiment
  • Amber = Violet based on data, but Maya based on mood
  • & more!

Part 3 of Millennial Baby Names

For part 3, Carly provides significantly more names. This time she focuses on the dates between decades for some, but also relies heavily on her opinions on the names feel How.

Here are some notable personalities:

  • Kelsey = Chloe based on data, but Peyton based on sentiment
  • Hannah = Savannah or Delilah
  • Shelby = Zoey
  • Jordan = Emery/Parker
  • & many more!

I can't help but think that Carly was spot on with most of her tips. She also expressed some tendencies in her future baby name trend predictions – such as an increasing popularity of the name Sutton. I don't know about you, but I'm definitely looking forward to more videos in this series and more predictions about what's to come in the baby name space. Maybe Part 4 will bring us a segment with boy names? Let's hope!

Viral TikTok features Millennial equivalent of popular baby names

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Brett Nicole Hayden, Associate Editor

As deputy editor, Brett works with The Everymom's editors on the content creation process by updating stories, sourcing images and graphics, and presenting and contributing her own articles. Her favorite topics to write about are culture, relationships, and life. She is also the resident of The Everymom Baby names And Family films Expert!

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