Names That Peaked In 1896

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1896 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 1895 Peaked in 1897 Full 1896 top 100 The 1890s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Ethel	34#4,210	Up 721 rank positions in five years	1918
Esther	2,277#119	Up 29 rank positions in five years	1918
Elsie	2,236#123	Up 110 rank positions in five years	1918
Alma	689#449	Up 111 rank positions in five years	1918
Lonnie	86#1,843	Down 201 rank positions in five years	1947
Marguerite	71#2,505	Down 44 rank positions in five years	1918
Essie	47#3,305	Up 893 rank positions in five years	1921
Frieda	36#4,011	Up 279 rank positions in five years	1916
Foster	264#901	Up 61 rank positions in five years	2025
Mckinley	30#3,720	Down 1,518 rank positions in five years	1920
Alva	22#5,566	Down 1,951 rank positions in five years	1918
Reta	—Unranked	—	1946
Tressa	6#14,779	Down 6,853 rank positions in five years	1971
Otha	—Unranked	—	1920
Mahlon	44#2,866	Up 242 rank positions in five years	1919
Evans	71#2,082	Up 586 rank positions in five years	2024
Anastacia	58#2,902	Down 432 rank positions in five years	2003
Eugenio	36#3,267	Down 231 rank positions in five years	1982
Crawford	70#2,097	Up 200 rank positions in five years	1924
Ocie	20#6,054	new	1916
Bertrand	—Unranked	—	1924
Elmore	—Unranked	—	1918
Willy	27#4,040	Down 971 rank positions in five years	1993
Price	59#2,347	Up 189 rank positions in five years	2006
Allison	6#10,752	Down 97 rank positions in five years	1917
Hobart	—Unranked	—	1921
Nile	86#1,848	Down 75 rank positions in five years	2021
Cam	131#1,395	Up 312 rank positions in five years	2025
Ivie	112#1,801	Up 508 rank positions in five years	2025
Hazen	90#1,782	Up 520 rank positions in five years	2024
Vernon	—Unranked	—	1922
Vergil	19#5,190	Up 18 rank positions in five years	1920
Hilliard	—Unranked	—	1920
Park	9#8,737	Down 1,367 rank positions in five years	1923
Little	—Unranked	—	1975
Buelah	—Unranked	—	1927
Loring	—Unranked	—	1922
Hale	13#6,580	Down 500 rank positions in five years	1917
Vira	26#5,088	Up 5,113 rank positions in five years	1916
Virgel	—Unranked	—	1920
Rosa	—Unranked	—	1933
Hazelle	20#5,989	Up 171 rank positions in five years	1914
Milda	—Unranked	—	1918
Vassie	—Unranked	—	1915
Owens	12#7,082	Up 6,455 rank positions in five years	1921
Addie	—Unranked	—	1927
Aurore	—Unranked	—	1914
Arthor	6#10,803	new	1923
Ottie	—Unranked	—	1921
Earley	—Unranked	—	1921
Lisle	—Unranked	—	1924
Silver	19#5,170	Down 163 rank positions in five years	2024

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1896 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.