Names That Peaked In 1891

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1891 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 1890 Peaked in 1892 Full 1891 top 100 The 1890s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Margaret	2,436#112	Up 14 rank positions in five years	1921
Ray	319#792	Down 67 rank positions in five years	1957
Mabel	1,522#201	Up 227 rank positions in five years	1915
Van	236#972	Down 104 rank positions in five years	1954
Selma	61#2,810	Down 619 rank positions in five years	1918
Jefferson	298#831	Down 125 rank positions in five years	2009
Flossie	—Unranked	—	1919
Ollie	207#1,058	Up 99 rank positions in five years	1919
Hezekiah	621#485	Up 93 rank positions in five years	2024
Freida	18#6,399	Down 866 rank positions in five years	1947
Agatha	120#1,703	Up 413 rank positions in five years	1918
Raleigh	64#2,222	Down 397 rank positions in five years	1921
Dovie	30#4,582	Up 3,074 rank positions in five years	1917
Omer	70#2,103	Down 89 rank positions in five years	1918
Antone	10#7,708	Down 1,064 rank positions in five years	1921
Junius	11#7,404	Up 2,640 rank positions in five years	1920
Carleton	—Unranked	—	1923
Hampton	124#1,444	Up 254 rank positions in five years	2025
Esta	9#10,348	Up 1,065 rank positions in five years	1920
Albin	14#6,156	Down 166 rank positions in five years	1919
Ammon	45#2,797	Down 562 rank positions in five years	2002
Elzie	—Unranked	—	1917
Tillman	27#4,033	Down 771 rank positions in five years	1917
Rush	126#1,434	Up 270 rank positions in five years	2023
Job	49#2,659	Down 176 rank positions in five years	2004
Elba	8#11,203	Up 2,706 rank positions in five years	1956
Heber	31#3,600	Up 719 rank positions in five years	2005
Hedwig	—Unranked	—	1918
Wellington	24#4,381	Down 1,543 rank positions in five years	1922
Sheridan	8#9,575	Up 4,157 rank positions in five years	1941
Verdie	—Unranked	—	1918
Alois	8#8,945	new	1918
Ethyl	—Unranked	—	1915
Auther	—Unranked	—	1926
Berkley	33#3,452	Down 902 rank positions in five years	2013
Hilary	—Unranked	—	1924
Lelah	10#9,822	Down 2,735 rank positions in five years	1915
Eudora	25#5,136	Up 3,426 rank positions in five years	1923
Iverson	129#1,413	Up 268 rank positions in five years	2024
Flo	—Unranked	—	1917
Jule	—Unranked	—	1919
Rossie	7#12,922	Down 990 rank positions in five years	1919
Ivey	—Unranked	—	1917
Powell	9#8,747	Up 1,575 rank positions in five years	1919
Roswell	7#10,468	Down 2,526 rank positions in five years	1919
Adolf	—Unranked	—	1918
Rolla	—Unranked	—	1916
Delcie	7#12,220	Up 3,494 rank positions in five years	1915
Ottie	—Unranked	—	1917
Colonel	—Unranked	—	1920
Beula	—Unranked	—	1921
Ellie	—Unranked	—	1915
French	—Unranked	—	1915
Chalmers	—Unranked	—	1919
Mart	—Unranked	—	1958
Lassie	—Unranked	—	1916
Zelpha	—Unranked	—	1916
Montie	—Unranked	—	1920
Loretto	—Unranked	—	1915
Barnard	—Unranked	—	1963
Sylva	7#13,039	new	1919
Verne	—Unranked	—	1918
Sigurd	16#5,815	Up 2,145 rank positions in five years	1916
Erle	—Unranked	—	1917
Cato	45#2,803	Up 475 rank positions in five years	2025
Elzie	15#7,234	Up 5,294 rank positions in five years	1919
Orlena	—Unranked	—	1921
Hurbert	—Unranked	—	1928
Idabelle	—Unranked	—	1918
Vick	—Unranked	—	1951
Ottilia	13#8,230	Up 4,888 rank positions in five years	1891
Burns	—Unranked	—	1920
Gertrude	—Unranked	—	1920
Sister	—Unranked	—	1914
Pinkney	—Unranked	—	1916
Ura	—Unranked	—	1917

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1891 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.