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If you’re like me, you put a lot of thought into naming characters, which is why I make these lists of names! If you have millennial characters in a U.S. based novel, story, or screenplay, you might want to give them names that were popular when they were born.
Some people in older generations can occasionally forget that millennials have been adults for a long while now. They were born between 1981 and 1996, so you can do the math! Given the fact that it takes time to write and publish a book, and the book will be out there for a while, these are good names for any characters in their 40s as well as characters in their late 20s and 30s.
While some of these names were trendy, many of them are classics! It just goes to show that some names never go out of style.
Sometimes you want an unusual character name, of course. The character of Mabel in Only Murders in the Building is a millennial, for instance, and Mabel is a name that most people associate with older generations. But if you want a name that really goes with the grain for the generation, here are 50 “girl names” and 50 “boy names” that can help! I’m putting those in quotation marks because, of course, not everyone is strictly male or female, and just because a name has been traditionally feminine or masculine doesn’t mean anyone can’t use it.
If you dislike a particular name, this isn’t the place to discuss it—if you do, I’ll delete the comment when I see it so no one’s feelings are hurt.
Be sure to bookmark this post (or pin it on Pinterest) for future reference!
Millennial Women’s Names
Abigail
April
Alexis
Alexandra (also Alexandria)
Alicia
Allison (also spelled Allyson)
Alyssa
Amanda
Amber
Andrea
Angela
Anna
Ashley (also spelled Ashleigh)
Brianna
Brittany (also spelled Brittney)
Brooke
Caitlin (also spelled Kaitlyn and Katelyn)
Cassandra (Cassie for short)
Chelsea
Christina
Courtney
Crystal (also spelled Krystal)
Danielle
Elizabeth
Emily (I’m using this one! So are lots of people, of course. 🙂 )
Erica (also spelled Erika)
Erin
Haley
Hannah
Heather
Jacqueline
Jamie
Jasmine
Jennifer (also HUGE for Gen X)
Jessica
Julia
Katherine (also Kathryn and Catherine)
Katie
Kayla
Kelsey
Kimberly
Kristen (also spelled Kristin)
Laura
Lauren
Leah
Lindsey (also spelled Lindsay)
Madison
Maria
Mary
Megan (also spelled Meghan)
Melissa
Molly
Morgan
Nicole
Olivia
Paige
Rachel
Rebecca (also spelled Rebekah)
Samantha
Sarah (also spelled Sara)
Savannah
Shannon
Shelby
Stephanie
Sydney (also spelled Sidney)
Taylor
Tiffany
Victoria
Millennial Men’s Names
Adam
Aaron
Alexander (usually Alex for short)
Andrew
Anthony
Austin
Benjamin (almost always Ben for short)
Bradley
Brandon
Brian (also spelled Bryan)
Caleb
Cameron
Charles
Christian
Christopher
Cody
Corey
Daniel
David
Derek
Dustin
Dylan
Eric
Ethan
Gregory
Hunter
Jacob (almost always Jake for short)
James
Jared
Jason
Jeremy
Jesse
John
Jonathan
José
Joseph
Joshua
Jordan
Juan
Justin
Kenneth
Kevin
Kyle
Logan
Lucas
Marcus
Mark
Matthew
Michael
Nathan
Nicholas
Noah
Patrick
Paul
Richard
Robert
Ryan
Samuel
Scott
Sean (also spelled Shawn)
Steven (also spelled Stephen)
Timothy
Thomas
Travis
Tyler
William
Zachary
Did I leave out the best millennial name? Let me know in the comments! And of course, for my international readers, the most popular millennial names in your country might be very different…I’d love to hear about that, too.
And if you love lists for writers, be sure to check out my book Master Lists for Writers. Many bestselling authors have told me they keep it on their desk (though it’s available in eBook, too!)
Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!
Interesting! Thanks for sharing. One of the first tasks of a story is figuring out the perfect name for your main character.
Definitely! I take a lot of time with it. Hope you’re having a great week, Tanya!
We moved into a new community. Our son joined a scout troop of six boys and five of them were named David. No kidding.
As a retired teacher, it was interesting to see how names changed over the years. Names, like most things, become fashionable. One of the biggest trends near the end of my career was to come up with alternative spellings for the most basic names. What? There’s an alternative spelling for Marie? When did it become Maree??
A great list! Thanks.
It’s like my older two boys’ class lists.
Isabella
Bella
Kiera
Elyse
Maisey
Bianca
Francesca
Hunter
Maghon/Magon also for Megan
Jordan
Emma
Kailey/Kaylee/Kayleigh
Bailey
Hailey
Halley
Riley/Rileigh/Ryleigh
Rian or Ryan for a girl
Jaden is used for boys or girls
Nathaniel (not always shortened)
Liam
Seth
Eli
Benjamin/Ben
Andrew/Drew
Cody
Chase
Collin/Colin
Connor
Cole
Spencer
Ethan
Trent
Bryn,
I’m plotting a trilogy for romantic suspense. The working title is The Wyne Sisters, There names are Chardonnay, Cabernet, and Malbec. One is a professional gambler. One will be a chef in a casino and the other a holistic essential oil maker.
What do you think?
Hi Carol! I love how different their careers are! To be honest, I’ve never been a fan of super unusual character names like that, BUT, it’s a matter of personal preference. Lots of readers like them!
Hi Bryn! This is great. My book has Leona, who is a witch-elf 10-year- old (in the end of the series she’s 15) and she has a pet griffin named Gaelen, whom she found when: in her new house, she explores her attic, but forgets her lantern. At night, she can’t sleep, so decides to read at lantern light. She goes to the attic and finds a golden egg there. She hatches it under her bed, secretly. And Gaelen the griffin was born…