Names That Peaked In 1889

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1889 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 1888 Peaked in 1890 Full 1889 top 100 The 1880s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Harry	329#775	Down 56 rank positions in five years	1918
Roy	570#525	Up 47 rank positions in five years	1947
Eva	2,154#134	Down 41 rank positions in five years	1918
Bessie	16#6,887	Up 83 rank positions in five years	1916
Pearl	350#777	Steady	1918
Ben	292#843	Down 75 rank positions in five years	1918
Ross	122#1,465	Down 141 rank positions in five years	1985
Sylvester	64#2,224	Up 272 rank positions in five years	1920
Major	407#670	Down 321 rank positions in five years	2017
Royal	640#476	Down 71 rank positions in five years	2021
Harris	150#1,300	Down 304 rank positions in five years	1921
Leta	10#9,824	Down 4,993 rank positions in five years	1918
Freeman	26#4,071	Up 108 rank positions in five years	1918
Bud	12#6,866	Up 1,999 rank positions in five years	1928
Sabina	68#2,579	Down 243 rank positions in five years	2005
Floy	—Unranked	—	1918
Casper	255#924	Up 302 rank positions in five years	2024
Gray	128#1,418	Down 181 rank positions in five years	2023
Clem	—Unranked	—	1917
Inga	10#9,711	Down 1,102 rank positions in five years	1969
Minna	29#4,721	Down 391 rank positions in five years	1916
Florencio	20#4,912	Up 881 rank positions in five years	1924
Lennie	8#9,374	Up 3,897 rank positions in five years	1957
Franz	17#5,457	Up 612 rank positions in five years	1963
Betsey	—Unranked	—	1942
Hazle	—Unranked	—	1924
Linton	—Unranked	—	1922
Acie	—Unranked	—	1928
Oliva	16#7,057	Down 1,613 rank positions in five years	1990
Levin	41#3,022	Up 152 rank positions in five years	2011
Dulcie	8#11,189	Up 1,304 rank positions in five years	1968
Floyd	—Unranked	—	1922
Oda	—Unranked	—	1918
Sada	13#8,257	Up 1,876 rank positions in five years	1986
Carlie	—Unranked	—	1925
Claiborne	—Unranked	—	1918
Ballard	6#10,850	new	1922
Lonie	—Unranked	—	1921
Branch	33#3,454	Down 1,540 rank positions in five years	2018
Bula	—Unranked	—	1920
Buena	—Unranked	—	1917
Erla	—Unranked	—	1924
Herma	—Unranked	—	1918
Bertie	—Unranked	—	1918
Redmond	26#4,112	Up 2,828 rank positions in five years	2023
Mattie	—Unranked	—	1928
Hubbard	—Unranked	—	1932
Abie	10#7,678	Down 645 rank positions in five years	1923
Ferd	—Unranked	—	1919
Besse	—Unranked	—	1889
Noemie	47#3,333	Up 1,000 rank positions in five years	2023
Altie	—Unranked	—	1920
Ola	—Unranked	—	1920
Chessie	—Unranked	—	1912
Pinkey	—Unranked	—	1910
Irl	—Unranked	—	1921
Elgie	—Unranked	—	1927

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1889 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.