Names That Peaked In 1900

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1900 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 1899 Peaked in 1901 Full 1900 top 100 The 1900s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Helen	668#462	Down 36 rank positions in five years	1918
Lee	366#727	Up 42 rank positions in five years	1951
Jessie	126#1,431	Down 212 rank positions in five years	1922
Earnest	25#4,163	Down 418 rank positions in five years	1926
Mack	668#463	Up 42 rank positions in five years	1942
Alphonso	21#4,711	Down 434 rank positions in five years	1962
Leatha	—Unranked	—	1916
Kattie	7#12,528	new	1924
Claudie	—Unranked	—	1918
Collins	48#2,684	Down 93 rank positions in five years	2023
Lambert	12#7,029	Up 1,422 rank positions in five years	1918
Wayman	—Unranked	—	1950
Furman	—Unranked	—	1918
Aleen	50#3,168	Down 643 rank positions in five years	2019
Gorge	—Unranked	—	1975
Beaulah	—Unranked	—	1921
Lady	20#6,028	Down 271 rank positions in five years	2016
Eston	12#6,912	Down 517 rank positions in five years	1915
Waverly	—Unranked	—	1951
Birtha	—Unranked	—	1926
Lala	12#8,633	Up 7,826 rank positions in five years	1921
Ossie	—Unranked	—	1919
Aggie	5#14,989	Down 5,433 rank positions in five years	1920
Eura	—Unranked	—	1920
Collis	—Unranked	—	1952
Ether	—Unranked	—	1921
Lossie	—Unranked	—	1921
Eunice	—Unranked	—	1916
Mannie	—Unranked	—	1919
Bertha	—Unranked	—	1932
Rossie	—Unranked	—	1919
Beatrice	—Unranked	—	1929
Barnie	—Unranked	—	1927
Estell	—Unranked	—	1916
Hester	—Unranked	—	1916

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1900 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.