The year 2000 was the beginning of a new millennium. It was the year that Gilmore Girls and Malcolm in the Middle started their television runs, "Oops!...I Did It Again" and "Who Let The Dogs Out?" were blasting at clubs and high school dances and Castaway, Gladiator and the first X-Men installment were playing in theaters. It was also the year that many moms and dads-to-be of today were rocking braces and jeans with bedazzled back pockets.
The names that were popular back then seem to be making a comeback...just like tattoo choker necklaces. The name of your first crush or the celeb you idolized back in the day may very well be the perfect choice for your impending arrival. With some parents these days getting all crazy with strange spellings and made-up monikers, other moms and pops may instead go back to the good old days to find a name that isn't currently being overused, stands the test of time and is easily pronounceable.
Millennials may be embracing the future: living in tiny houses and snapchatting all day long, but that doesn't mean that every aspect of the past should be forgotten. Parents of the future could do a lot worse than the names that were popular in the year of huge cell phones that couldn't do sh** and floppy disks. After all, 2000 was the year Christina Aguilera won the Grammy for Best New Artist, Brad Pitt and Jennifer Aniston tied the knot and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire hit bookstores.
Read on for 20 of the hottest names from the year 2000 that haven't cooled off since. They're understated. They're fabulous. They're perfect for your baby-to-be.
20 Katherine
Katherine is an exquisite name of Greek origin that means pure. We'd like to go out on a limb here and guess that at least one of your childhood friends or acquaintances had this gorgeous designation, or at least some variation of it. Katherine is a timeless beauty that ranked 37th, and was given to 65,319 girls in the United States in the year 2000.
Other spellings of the name include Catherine, made stately and cool by the Duchess of Cambridge, who it is rumored first met her future husband Prince William in the year 2000. Kathleen is a popular Irish version of the name and Catarina and Katrina are other international variations.
Those who wisely select the name Katherine for their daughters won't have a hard time coming up with a nickname. There are more than a few options. Some shortenings of this one include: Kat, Katie, Kate, Kitty, Kathy, Kath, Kay and Kick. There's no question about it. The name Katherine is simply a sensational choice. Love it? Similar names include Elizabeth, Charlotte and Olivia.
19 Kyle
Kyle is an effortlessly cool name of Scottish origin that sounds flawless accompanied with nearly any middle name and last name. It means handsome, near the chapel and narrow spit of land. It was the 56th most popular name for boys in the United States in the year 2000 and was given to 76,112 little lads that year.
The popular raunchy cartoon South Park, that hit the airwaves in 1997 and was a hugely popular series by the year 2000, contains a beloved character named Kyle Broslofski. Actor Kyle MacLachlan played Trey, Charlotte's impotent husband, on the HBO series Sex and the City which was also at its height of popularity in the year 2000.
Kyle is a gender neutral name that is quickly becoming a popular choice for girls as well as boys. Currently, Kyle is the 202nd most popular name for boys in the U.S.. For girls, it currently ranks 2,044th, up 606 spots since 2016.
18 Morgan
Morgan is a lilting, lovely name of Welsh origin that means circle, sea or sea-born. In the year 2000, Morgan was the 31st most popular name chosen for girls in the United States. 70,729 little women were given the name Morgan that year.
Actress Morgan Fairchild made several appearances on the show Friends as Nora Bing, Chandler's mom. She appeared in 4 different episodes over the course of the show's epic 10 year run. In the year 2000 the sitcom was one of the most popular shows on television. Although Fairchild was a secondary character on the show, her first name was a leading lady at the time.
Currently, Morgan is the 139th most popular name used for girls in the United States and the 765th most popular choice for boys. Adore it? Similar names include Logan, Mason and Owen for a boy, and Reagan, Tatum or Peyton for a girl.
17 Noah
Noah is a biblical name of Hebrew origin that means rest or comfort. In the year 2000, the name Noah was given to 143,348 lucky little lads and ranked as the 20th most popular name chosen for boys.
Actor Noah Wyle is perhaps best known for his stint as Dr. John Carter on the longest-running television show of all time, ER. The series aired from 1994 until 2009 and in the year 2000, it was one of the most-watched shows around. Noah was named one of the "50 Most Beautiful People in the World" by People magazine in 2001, possibly due to the exciting scenes he appeared in on the hospital drama, and his irresistible real-life name.
Presently, Noah is the 2nd most popular name for boys in the United States, down one place from the top spot it held in 2016 where it had reigned supreme since 2013.
16 Kaitlyn
A variation of the traditional Irish variation of the name Catherine--spelled Caitlin, Kaitlyn is a name of Greek origin that means pure. In the year 2000, 66,874 little ladies were named Kaitlyn. That year, Kaitlyn was the 35th most popular name chosen for girls.
In recent years, Caitlyn Jenner has brought acclaim and fame to this name after she bravely shared with the world that she identified as a woman despite what her critics may say about her. She was formerly the famous Olympian Bruce Jenner who got a second turn in the spotlight as the husband of "momager" Kris Jenner on the reality show Keeping Up With The Kardashians. In the year 2000, Jenner was a just a dad hitting the movie premier of The Emperor's New Groove with his wife and adorable young daughters Kendall and Kylie.
Spellings of the name Kaitlyn abound and include Katelyn, Kaitlin, Caitlin, Katelynn and Catelyn. At the present time, Kaitlyn is ranked as the 206th most popular name for girls in the United States. It is up 130 places in popularity since 2016.
15 Cameron
Cameron is a Scottish surname that means crooked nose. Despite this name's unflattering definition, it's one that won the hearts of more than a few parents in the year 2000--a year in which it ranked 39th for boys in the United States and was given to 95,822 male new arrivals.
Candace and Kirk Cameron were both household names in the 90's, possibly contributing to the love this name received from parents in the year 2000. Candace starred as D.J. Tanner on the hit sitcom Full House that just made a comeback on Netflix under the title Fuller House. Kirk was the star of the popular show Growing Pains. Actress Cameron Diaz smoldered onscreen in the movie Charlie's Angels, which hit theaters in the year 2000.
Cameron is a gender neutral name and is a magnificent moniker whether it is assigned to a girl or a boy. Currently, Cameron ranks as the 56th most popular name for boys in the United States and the 649th most popular name for girls.
14 Taylor
Taylor is another splendid gender neutral choice that was all the rage in the year 2000. It was given to 100,930 young ladies that year and ranked as the 17th most popular name given to girls in the United States. It is an English occupational name that means tailor.
Notable stars with the name Taylor include singer Taylor Hanson, television star Jonathan Taylor Thomas and pop star Taylor Swift. In the year 2000, Swift was playing Annie in a local theater production, the band Hanson released its second album, "This Time Around," and Home Improvement, the show on which Thomas became a teen heartthrob, had just wrapped the year before.
It seems parents who chose the name Taylor for their darling daughters in the year 2000 were forward-thinking cool cats who knew a stellar name when they saw it. Today, Taylor is the 98th most popular name used for girls in the United States and the 549th most popular for boys.
13 Tyler
Tyler is a dashing designation that was given to 165,465 little men in the year 2000 and ranked as the 16th most popular choice for boys. It is an English occupational name that means maker of tiles.
In 1998, the father/daughter duo Liv and Steven Tyler were impressing us all with the release of the movie Armageddon. Liv starred in the film next to a boyish Ben Affleck and Steven sang the movie's theme song "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing." There is no telling whether or not this juggernaut year for the family was one of the things that catapulted the name Tyler into the spotlight. In the year 2000, Liv appeared in the virtually unknown film Dr. T & the Women and Steven released the song "Jaded," which was later ranked 86th out of the 100 best songs of the 00's by VH1.
At present, Tyler is the 92nd most popular name chosen for boys in the United States. It's fallen a bit since the good old days, but is still well within the top 100.
12 Alyssa
Alyssa is a flowing, elegant name of Greek origin that means logical. In the year 2000, it was given to 114,402 girls in the United States and ranked as the 14th most popular name for females.
Alyssa Milano, who had previously gained recognition for her long-running role as Samantha on the popular sitcom of the 80's and 90's Who's the Boss? Again gained many fans with her portrayal of Phoebe Halliwell on the show Charmed which ran from 1998 until 2006. Phoebe's character was adventurous, daring and strong. She possessed the power of premonition, bolstered by her amazing martial arts skills. Later in the show, she also developed the powers of levitation and empathy. It's no surprise her character was a fan favorite, most likely giving the name Alyssa a boost.
Currently, Alyssa is ranked as the 129th most popular name chosen for girls in the United States. Allie and Lyssa are two lovely shortenings of this stunner. Fans of this name may also wish to consider the similar names Chloe, Alexa or Ava.
11 Nicholas
Nicholas is a charming name of Greek origin that means people of victory. It was assigned to 177,512 boys in the year 2000 and was the 14th most popular name given to tiny gentlemen.
Nick Carter, formally Nicholas, was a member of the acclaimed band the Backstreet Boys that formed in 1993 and hit superstardom status with the release of their 1999 album Millennium, followed up by their hit 2000 album Black and Blue. Nick was the object of many-a-girl's affections back then, and surely helped give this name a lift in popularity. Actor Nicholas Cage starred in the films The Family Man and Gone in 60 Seconds in the year 2000, bringing even more clout to this cool-as-can-be name.
Presently, Nicholas is ranked as the 66th most popular name given to boys in the United States and is up 8 spots in popularity since 2016.
10 Brianna
Brianna is the melodious feminine variation of the name Brian, and means strong, virtuous and honorable. In the year 2000, 99,704 girls were given this charming name, and it ranked as the 18th most popular name for girls in the United States.
Country singer Trace Adkins was a huge star on the country music circuit in the year 2000. He selected the name Brianna for his beautiful daughter in 2001. He may not have inspired the trend for using this lovely name, but one thing is certain: he has great taste, as do the other parents who chose this magnificent name for their beautiful baby girls.
At the present time, Brianna is ranked as the 152nd most popular name for girls in the United States and is up 15 spots in popularity since 2016. Those who adore the name Brianna may also wish to consider the similarly beautiful names Arianna, Brielle or Sophia.
9 Brandon
Brandon is a strong name of Anglo-Saxon origin that mean sword. In the year 2000, Brandon was given to 142,899 young men and ranked as the 21st most popular name for boys.
Possibly due to the swoon-worthy character Brandon Walsh, played by Jason Priestley on the smash hit television show Beverly Hills, 90210 that ran from 1990 until the year 2000, Brandon was a hit in the year 2000. It was in the top 10 names for boys from 1992 until 1998, and was still a favorite at the start of the new millennium, though its popularity had dropped just a bit.
Presently, Brandon is ranked as the 124th most popular name chosen for boys, and is up in popularity 6 places since 2016. Caden and Braden have since become more popular choices, and Brendan, the Irish version of the name, is a favorite of many parents. Game of Thrones character Brandon (Bran) Stark may be the reason this name of the past seems to be making a comeback as of late.
8 Lauren
In the year 2000, the lovely name Lauren was assigned to 97,122 girls in the United States and was ranked as the 19th most popular name for the fairer sex. Lauren is an English variation of the name Laura and means bay laurel. This splendid designation enjoyed a stint in the top 25 names for girls from the beginning of the 80's all the way until 2006.
Lauren Graham shot to stardom while playing Lorelei Gilmore on the hit series Gilmore Girls that premiered in the year 2000. Lorelei and her fictional daughter Rory, played by Alexis Bledel, won over the hearts of many mother and daughter teams who could totally relate to their witty banter and love of food.
Currently, Lauren is the 140th most popular name chosen for girls in the United States. It was assigned to more than 2500 little ladies last year, proving this one has staying power, even if its popularity has fallen just a bit since it's heyday in the early 2000's.
7 Christian
Assigned to 142,285 boys in the United States in the year 2000 and ranked as the 22nd most popular choice of parents of men-t0-be, Christian is an American classic beloved and adored by many moms and dads. It is Greek designation that means follower of Christ.
Christian Bale was the object of many tween girls affections during the 90's and into the year 2000. In April of that year, one of his most disturbing films of all time, American Psycho, was released. While Bale's behavior in the film most likely didn't represent actions parents would like their sons to emulate, Christian's performance received rave reviews, and the movie has a cult following to this day.
At the present time, Christian is ranked as the 62nd most popular name chosen for boys in the United States. It has also recently risen in popularity for American girls, currently ranking as 1,807th.
6 Sydney
In the year 2000, Sydney was assigned to 76,411 girls and ranked as the 28th most popular choice for little ladies. It is a name of French origin that means Saint Denis and is also a place name: assigned to one of the most breathtaking cities in all of Australia.
Annett Benning's character in the 1995 film The American President may have contributed to the love this name got over the next decade. Jennifer Garner starred as Sydney Bristow in the popular television show Alias from 2001 until 2006. Although the series didn't premier until the year 2000 had come to an end, it's likely the name's popularity inspired the name of one of Garner's coolest-ever characters.
Presently, Sydney is ranked as the 171st most popular name for girls in the United States. Syd is a sweet shortening of the name and similar names that may appeal to parents who love this one include Avery, Madison and Savannah.
5 Austin
Austin is a place name as well as a name of Latin origin that means majestic dignity. Is is also an English name, a shortened version of the name Augustine. Austin ranked as the 32nd most popular name chosen for boys in the United States in the year 2000 and was assigned to 112,691 boys that year.
Austin Reed is a beloved character on the soap opera Days of Our Lives, played by Patrick Muldoon from 1992 until 1995 and Austin peck from 1995 until 2006. Muldoon resumed the role from 2011 until 2012. Despite the confusing changes in actor Reed's character has undergone, his flawless name has most likely been the inspiration for more than a few little boys' names.
In recent years, Austin has become a gender neutral choice that possesses Southern charm when used for either sex. Currently, Austin is ranked as the 76th most popular name chosen for boys in the United States and ranks as the 1,344th most popular choice for girls.
4 Hannah
Hannah is a lovely biblical name of Hebrew origin the means grace. It is one of the top female names from the Bible used in the United States, surpassed in use only by Abigail and Elizabeth. In fact, Hannah rose above the widely popular name Sarah in 1998 and was at its height of popularity in the year 2000 when it ranked as the 5th most popular name for girls in the U.S.. That year it was assigned to 155,626 tiny ladies.
Dakota Fanning's given name is Hannah. She was just getting her feet wet in the acting world in the year 2000, and appeared on the television shows Spin City, CSI, The Practice, ER, Strong Medicine and Ally McBeal.
Presently, Hannah is the 31st most popular name for girls in the United States. One more cool thing about this one? Hannah is a palindrome, meaning it reads exactly the same way forwards and backwards.
3 Christopher
Christopher is a gorgeous name of Greek origin that means Christ-bearer. In the year 2000, 203,184 young men in the United States were given the name Christopher, and it ranked as the 6th most popular boys name. It held a place in the top 25 names for boys until 2013 when its popularity finally started to wane.
This classic choice can be shortened to friendly sounding Chris or ultra-cool Topher. Kit, Kip and Christy are other possible nicknames. Christopher John "Topher" Grace starred as Eric Forman on That 70's Show alongside the likes of Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis from 1998 until 2006.
Although Christopher has fallen in popularity in recent years, its still well within the top 100 names for boys and beloved by many. At present, Christopher is the 57th most popular name for boys in the United States, up 6 spots in popularity since 2016. Adore this one? Similar sophisticated-sounding names for litttle lads include Andrew, Benjamin and Daniel.
2 Emily
Emily is the feminine version of the Latin name Emil and means rival. In the year 2000, Emily was at the top of its game, with no rivals in sight. It was ranked as the number 1 name chosen for girls in the United States that year and was given to 223,612 lucky ladies.
In the year 2000, Emily Blunt and Emma Stone, who's given name is Emily, were still unheard of. Why all the love for the name Emily without these two to give it a boost? It's simply a lovely name. Plus, it was assigned to the bad girl Emily Valentine, on the television drama Beverly Hills, 90210 and Ross's one-time wife Emily Waltham on the comic sitcom Friends.
Today, Emily is ranked as the 13th most popular name for girls in the United States. The similar-sounding Emma has since taken the top spot. Emmaline, Amelia and Emmy are other variations of the the name that are also currently quite cool.
1 Joshua
In the year 2000, Joshua was given to 231,808 boys in the United States and was ranked 3rd overall for little chaps. Joshua is an irresistible biblical name of Hebrew origin that means the Lord is my salvation.
Joshua Jackon caused the hearts of young girls all around the world to go pitter-patter in the year 2000 with his portrayal of Pacey Witter on the teen drama Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 until 2003. He played Dawson's best frenemy and brought an edgy coolness to this timeless name. Presently, Joshua ranks as the 39th most popular name for boys in the United States. It is up 1 spot in popularity since 2016.
The millennial monikers listed above are some of the best names out there. Parents can't go wrong with any of them. It's sure these names will be well-used and adored choices all the way until the year 3000...and beyond.
PopSugar.com, Nameberry.com, BabyCenter.com, SSA.gov