Names That Peaked In 1885

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1885 and have never ranked as high since — the sound of that moment, frozen in the data. (The #1 names that year were Mary and John — reigning champions usually peak in a different year than they reign.)

Peaked in 1884 Peaked in 1886 Full 1885 top 100 The 1880s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Fred	80#1,936	Down 134 rank positions in five years	1924
Clarence	117#1,500	Down 173 rank positions in five years	1921
Ernest	213#1,040	Down 31 rank positions in five years	1921
Clara	3,601#63	Up 40 rank positions in five years	1918
Addie	176#1,272	Up 46 rank positions in five years	1920
Rena	75#2,402	Down 481 rank positions in five years	1962
Amalia	530#566	Up 4 rank positions in five years	2023
Hans	146#1,325	Up 140 rank positions in five years	1970
Frederic	42#2,952	Up 340 rank positions in five years	1947
Dessie	7#12,227	new	1918
Mayme	—Unranked	—	1915
Claud	—Unranked	—	1919
Lura	—Unranked	—	1917
Lavina	56#2,978	Up 1,848 rank positions in five years	1920
Melvina	—Unranked	—	1920
Blanch	—Unranked	—	1924
Artie	—Unranked	—	1916
Campbell	337#764	Up 402 rank positions in five years	2025
Orpha	—Unranked	—	1917
Nelle	33#4,324	Down 433 rank positions in five years	1917
Hosea	67#2,154	Up 93 rank positions in five years	1925
Smith	120#1,483	Down 71 rank positions in five years	2016
Hulda	—Unranked	—	1895
Len	8#9,373	Up 799 rank positions in five years	1960
Cleve	—Unranked	—	1951
Bartholomew	39#3,092	Up 1,344 rank positions in five years	1969
Eda	22#5,599	Up 318 rank positions in five years	1916
General	—Unranked	—	1918
Enos	38#3,147	Up 73 rank positions in five years	1921
Arley	92#1,755	Up 315 rank positions in five years	2025
Jennette	—Unranked	—	1981
Davie	8#9,096	Up 701 rank positions in five years	1955
Neta	—Unranked	—	1920
Arthur	—Unranked	—	1928
Hilma	—Unranked	—	1915
Olaf	5#13,365	Down 3,069 rank positions in five years	1916
Gerhard	—Unranked	—	1917
Ernst	—Unranked	—	1917
Vella	27#4,976	Down 229 rank positions in five years	1915
Mignon	—Unranked	—	1979
Valentine	70#2,539	Up 905 rank positions in five years	2025
Emmer	—Unranked	—	1926
Laurance	—Unranked	—	1956
Jemima	43#3,543	Up 567 rank positions in five years	2018
Wilhelm	26#4,132	Down 122 rank positions in five years	2014
Alvah	—Unranked	—	1916
Clora	—Unranked	—	1924
Elmer	—Unranked	—	1928
Ashby	13#6,477	Up 179 rank positions in five years	2017
Evelena	—Unranked	—	1924
Colon	—Unranked	—	1927
Bina	23#5,433	Up 2,184 rank positions in five years	2019
Pollie	—Unranked	—	1920
Dolphus	—Unranked	—	1930
Ewing	—Unranked	—	1925
Adline	—Unranked	—	1919
Pheobe	16#7,061	Down 494 rank positions in five years	2009
Budd	—Unranked	—	1923
Maymie	—Unranked	—	1916
Ama	14#7,504	Up 933 rank positions in five years	2019
Clotilde	—Unranked	—	1924
Harvy	—Unranked	—	1921
Donie	—Unranked	—	1895
Orvis	—Unranked	—	1920
Rennie	13#8,243	Up 4,928 rank positions in five years	1922
Alvira	—Unranked	—	1920
Imo	—Unranked	—	1922
Burney	—Unranked	—	1930
Tolbert	—Unranked	—	1922
Medora	7#12,729	new	1920
Agness	—Unranked	—	1923
Ellen	—Unranked	—	1941
Mima	—Unranked	—	1935
Worley	—Unranked	—	1920
Almond	—Unranked	—	1919
Fielding	—Unranked	—	2022
Philomene	—Unranked	—	1915
Channie	—Unranked	—	1920

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1885 when that year holds its best-ever position in the national rankings — rank, not raw count, because raw counts track how many babies were born and would pile every “peak” into the boom years. To qualify, a name must have reached the top 1,000 at its height and have at least 500 all-time applications. Lists are ordered by that peak rank.

Ranks come from U.S. births, counted separately for girls and boys. “Unranked” today means fewer than 5 applications in the latest year — uncommon, never invalid.