Names That Peaked In 1888

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1888 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 1887 Peaked in 1889 Full 1888 top 100 The 1880s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Harrison	3,072#116	Down 2 rank positions in five years	2016
Mamie	19#6,248	Down 989 rank positions in five years	1919
Ollie	80#2,294	Down 319 rank positions in five years	1919
Frankie	549#552	Up 36 rank positions in five years	1943
Roscoe	63#2,248	Down 381 rank positions in five years	1920
Thurman	—Unranked	—	1920
Zella	117#1,746	Down 79 rank positions in five years	1917
Morton	—Unranked	—	1923
Coral	100#1,931	Down 314 rank positions in five years	2004
Turner	195#1,107	Down 103 rank positions in five years	2019
Barton	8#9,014	Up 668 rank positions in five years	1960
Fritz	47#2,727	Down 95 rank positions in five years	1956
Toney	6#11,851	Down 3,860 rank positions in five years	1961
Henri	95#1,714	Down 133 rank positions in five years	2021
Winnifred	70#2,540	Up 550 rank positions in five years	1918
Benjiman	11#7,254	Down 2,195 rank positions in five years	1921
Melton	—Unranked	—	1921
Courtland	31#3,592	Down 88 rank positions in five years	1996
Jettie	9#10,460	Up 5,733 rank positions in five years	1918
Elenora	46#3,351	Up 596 rank positions in five years	1917
Eben	28#3,873	Down 1,431 rank positions in five years	2012
Florida	—Unranked	—	1925
Godfrey	10#7,846	Down 1,094 rank positions in five years	1918
Carl	—Unranked	—	1928
Thornton	10#8,186	Up 1,283 rank positions in five years	1921
Allie	—Unranked	—	1923
Nils	20#4,992	Down 184 rank positions in five years	1970
Zeb	12#7,185	Down 899 rank positions in five years	1979
Wm	—Unranked	—	1916
Celestino	28#3,859	Up 1,423 rank positions in five years	1922
Margarete	7#12,699	Up 3,947 rank positions in five years	1918
Anastacio	7#9,770	Down 987 rank positions in five years	1924
Mellie	15#7,378	Up 882 rank positions in five years	1895
Benjaman	—Unranked	—	1977
Epifanio	6#11,061	Down 2,091 rank positions in five years	1930
Erie	—Unranked	—	1970
Emaline	28#4,800	Down 1,339 rank positions in five years	2016
Lonie	—Unranked	—	1914
Howard	—Unranked	—	1928
Hughie	7#10,064	new	1925
Sarrah	5#16,855	new	1977
Minda	—Unranked	—	1951
Holly	—Unranked	—	1918
Sula	7#13,031	Down 2,052 rank positions in five years	1921
Chaney	16#6,899	Up 393 rank positions in five years	2003
Margrett	—Unranked	—	1924
Dot	11#9,015	Up 3,476 rank positions in five years	1935
Hart	57#2,403	Up 636 rank positions in five years	2025
Orvel	—Unranked	—	1919
Tinnie	—Unranked	—	1918
Francies	—Unranked	—	1923
Liston	—Unranked	—	1923
Ebba	26#5,009	Up 4,098 rank positions in five years	1898
Margretta	—Unranked	—	1921
Elgie	—Unranked	—	1918
Harlie	—Unranked	—	1918
Le	—Unranked	—	1990
Ida	—Unranked	—	1929
May	—Unranked	—	1925
Daisy	—Unranked	—	1988
Horton	—Unranked	—	1922
Zilpha	—Unranked	—	1918
Tollie	—Unranked	—	1927
Estes	—Unranked	—	1916
Handy	—Unranked	—	1916

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1888 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.