Names That Peaked In 1899

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1899 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 1898 Peaked in 1900 Full 1899 top 100 The 1890s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Edna	72#2,463	Down 378 rank positions in five years	1918
Agnes	246#1,016	Up 231 rank positions in five years	1918
Hilda	55#3,007	Up 413 rank positions in five years	1921
Otis	422#652	Down 4 rank positions in five years	1920
Ellis	1,417#243	Up 83 rank positions in five years	2025
Lorena	173#1,293	Down 17 rank positions in five years	1980
Boyd	78#1,959	Down 431 rank positions in five years	1922
Garland	12#6,924	Down 1,394 rank positions in five years	1922
Martina	161#1,371	Up 86 rank positions in five years	1964
Ward	44#2,876	Down 190 rank positions in five years	1961
Veda	370#739	Up 179 rank positions in five years	2024
Maudie	10#9,875	Up 3,132 rank positions in five years	1918
Warner	137#1,365	Up 131 rank positions in five years	1921
Haywood	12#6,940	Up 1,360 rank positions in five years	1919
Merritt	117#1,505	Up 357 rank positions in five years	1924
Rupert	29#3,830	Up 415 rank positions in five years	1920
Marvel	17#6,735	Down 3,014 rank positions in five years	1929
Haven	139#1,354	Up 112 rank positions in five years	2007
Jethro	245#953	Up 349 rank positions in five years	2025
Clair	29#4,679	Down 306 rank positions in five years	1991
Richmond	17#5,561	Down 570 rank positions in five years	1921
Obie	10#8,061	Down 1,145 rank positions in five years	1924
Sarah	—Unranked	—	1989
Murry	—Unranked	—	1917
Lawton	36#3,279	Down 455 rank positions in five years	2021
Odie	17#5,545	Up 4,749 rank positions in five years	1918
Elder	47#2,725	Up 787 rank positions in five years	2024
Helga	—Unranked	—	1961
Alline	—Unranked	—	1921
Wheeler	33#3,506	Up 1,930 rank positions in five years	2024
Monnie	—Unranked	—	1922
Myrl	—Unranked	—	1916
Tula	40#3,769	Up 1,378 rank positions in five years	2019
Shelley	—Unranked	—	1951
Wright	24#4,382	Up 29 rank positions in five years	1915
Veva	—Unranked	—	1922
Griffith	22#4,595	Up 1,484 rank positions in five years	1918
Burrell	—Unranked	—	1919
Atha	—Unranked	—	1918
Barnett	—Unranked	—	1923
Steward	—Unranked	—	1920
Clell	—Unranked	—	1924
Simmie	—Unranked	—	1918
Namon	—Unranked	—	1942
Glover	—Unranked	—	1915
Gerda	—Unranked	—	1915
Edna	—Unranked	—	1927
Colvin	5#12,407	Down 2,638 rank positions in five years	2007
Alferd	—Unranked	—	1930
Clella	—Unranked	—	1915
Selmer	—Unranked	—	1916
Tandy	—Unranked	—	1958
Ilo	—Unranked	—	1921
Mabell	—Unranked	—	1916
Elizah	—Unranked	—	1999
Dora	—Unranked	—	1926

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1899 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.