20 '90s Nickelodeon-Themed Baby Names For Parents Who Want To Remember The Good Days

Tommy Pickles from Rugrats was the most well-behaved baby of the gang and, as far as cartoon babies go, pretty awesome. He was also extremely intelligent for a baby. Perhaps if you name your own baby Tommy he’ll be just as crafty — just make sure you don’t give him a toy screwdriver or he’ll always be getting out of the playpen and going on adventures. Tommy is the diminutive of Thomas which means "twin."

Clarissa Darling was played by Melissa Joan Hart in the short-lived but awesome series Clarissa Explains It All. I was always obsessed with her bedroom with that gorgeous bay window — not to mention how awesome it was that her cute BFF Sam would come and visit her via ladder. Clarissa is actually a gorgeous name that means "bright or clear," too.

Kenan and Kel centered around the mischievous acts of two teenage boys, and they were arguably the funniest duo on All That. They did get spinoff shows and movies after all, and Kenan is now on SNL. Kenan is a variation of the Irish word for "ancient" and is a unique choice for either a girl or boy — and maybe they’ll end up on the best late-night comedy sketch show of all time.

Eliza Thornberry from The Wild Thornberrys was as odd as she was kind. Her spunk, curiosity, and love of animals and adventure made her a pretty likable character. Her name is beautiful too and it means "pledged to God." Plus, wouldn’t it be cool if your kid could talk to animals like Eliza did and report their findings back to you?

Though the show didn't air until 1999, The Amanda Show starring Amanda Bynes was one of every '90s kid's favorites. Though there were about 12 Amandas in my classes from Kindergarten through high school, I feel like it would be a pretty unique name now, maybe? Amanda, fittingly, means "much loved."

Though this one was on Nick Jr., the name is just too cute to pass up. Maisy Mouse was a British animated series based on a book series by Lucy Cousins, and then later a U.S. version was created. Maisy means "pearl," and is a popular name in the UK.

Since Chuckie isn't really anyone's favorite name — thanks to a horror movie with the title character of the same name — opt for the classier, full version. I don’t know, though. I think that Chuckie could potentially make a comeback. Plus, Chuckie was the best character on Rugrats, and I’d love to pay homage to him. Charlie means "free man" and is a great gender-neutral option, too.

Another one from The Rugrats, Angelica was the spoiled cousin who got to do all of the "big kid" stuff and rudely referred to the little ones as “you dumb babies.” Hopefully, if you name your child Angelica, she’ll embody the characteristics of what her name actually means, which is angel.

Though his name isn't on the top of the charts, Arnold from Hey Arnold! has a meaning that's hard to pass up. It means "ruler or strong as an eagle," and would make a great, unexpected choice for a baby boy. Let’s just hope your Arnold isn’t born with a football-shaped head, because ouch.

Doug aired in 1991 and was about a sixth grade boy trying to navigate the waters of love and school, all while writing about it in his diary. It was one of my favorite shows, and my dad’s favorite show. He liked it so much that he dressed up as “Doug Funnie” for Halloween several years in a row. Doug is a variation of Douglas and means "black water."

Phoebe Heyerdahl was the smartest girl in the fourth grade class from Hey Arnold! Phoebe means "radiant or shining one," and is a beautiful, lesser known choice — though she was my personal favorite character on the show when I watched it as a child, I always felt so bad for her because Helga was so darn mean.

Though I would never suggest telling anyone that you drew inspiration from Ren and Stimpy, the name Ren (spelled Wren for an even better effect) is actually really great. When spelled with a "W" it’s the name of a bird and would make a great gender-neutral option. I definitely wouldn’t recommend naming your kid Stimpy, however.

Again, no one will probably take you seriously if you say Nigel Thornberry is your child's namesake, but the name actually has a long history in England and means "dark or black haired." Plus, Nigel just sounds intelligent doesn’t it? And there have been a lot of well-known Nigel characters in movies and pop-culture, so technically people wouldn’t even know you named your kid after a Nickelodeon character.

To me, Kel was the goofier counterpart to Kenan, but he was still pretty darn hilarious. The actor, Kel Mitchell, is now not only a stand-up comedian, but is also a musician, singer, and rapper. Ironically, the name Kel means “self-made.” Perhaps if you name your kid Kel they’ll be as well-rounded and successful as Kel Mitchell and also love orange soda.

Susie Carmichael was the perfect foil to Angelica’s spoiled, mean, rotten self in Rugrats. She was always willing to lend a helping hand to the babies, and was definitely a kind and compassionate friend to them. She also had a beautiful singing voice and ended up being a singer in the spin-off series All Grown Up. Susie is the diminutive form of Susan, and means “lily flower,” which is pretty indicative of Susie’s beautiful personality on the show.

If your last name is Mayonnaise, you probably shouldn’t name your kid Patty, but that’s exactly what they did on the show Doug. Patty was smart, athletic, kind, and just an all around great gal, so it makes sense why she was Doug’s crush. Bonus points if she has a whole lot of blonde hair.

If you really wanted to go for it, you could prove you are the ultimate fan of Pete & Pete by having twins and christening them both with the moniker. But that would be completely confusing, so maybe you should just give one kid the name Pete, which means “rock.”

The Secret World of Alex Mack was a pretty awesome science fiction show for its time, and I feel like if you loved this show as a kid, you’re probably obsessed with Stranger Things as well. I mean, a top secret chemical plant/lab? A healthy fear of said chemical plant’s power and CEO? Plus, who wouldn’t want to be able to liquify and have telekinesis? Alex means “defending men, protector of man-kind,” and if your child is “lucky” enough to inherit any special powers from being given this name, maybe they’ll use it to defend others.

This name is just super unique and cool, and I can guarantee your kid will be the only one with this name in the entire school. Oblina just so happened to be my favorite character from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters, and her aesthetic is still pretty much my favorite color combo today — black, white, red, and lime green. This name is so original, there isn’t even a definition for it on the internet yet. Come on, be a trailblazer.

Penny is one bad*ss female protagonist and was an incredible role model in the show Inspector Gadget. She was always the one secretly doing all the work during her Uncle Inspector Gadget’s missions, and that’s just not fair. Honor Penny and her legacy of smarts, cunning, and fearlessness by naming your kid Penny. Penny means “weaver,” by the way, and that is indicative of the fact that she was truly the mastermind at weaving plans for successful missions.