Names That Peaked In 1901

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1901 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 1900 Peaked in 1902 Full 1901 top 100 The 1900s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Marie	474#618	Down 1 rank positions in five years	1920
Gladys	49#3,224	Down 931 rank positions in five years	1920
Davis	409#668	Down 114 rank positions in five years	2007
Elva	41#3,664	Down 251 rank positions in five years	1918
Louie	481#596	Up 171 rank positions in five years	2024
Elma	32#4,383	Up 2,029 rank positions in five years	1918
Erwin	57#2,402	Up 42 rank positions in five years	1918
Houston	402#675	Up 56 rank positions in five years	2021
Ursula	29#4,746	Down 1 rank positions in five years	1967
Vada	302#886	Down 73 rank positions in five years	2020
Herschel	34#3,398	Down 358 rank positions in five years	1921
Retha	—Unranked	—	1924
Noble	144#1,337	Down 88 rank positions in five years	1920
Oma	—Unranked	—	1916
Tressie	5#17,066	Down 5,014 rank positions in five years	1921
Frances	6#11,108	Down 3,413 rank positions in five years	1928
Alda	—Unranked	—	1918
Vergie	—Unranked	—	1919
Oran	19#5,152	Up 744 rank positions in five years	1922
Lorenza	—Unranked	—	1958
Evert	12#6,914	Up 4,109 rank positions in five years	1923
Claudie	—Unranked	—	1920
Roby	7#10,454	Up 3,192 rank positions in five years	1964
Hildegarde	—Unranked	—	1915
Dannie	20#5,964	Down 1,045 rank positions in five years	1947
Ellwood	—Unranked	—	1918
Annie	—Unranked	—	1927
Julia	—Unranked	—	1989
Dagny	24#5,278	Down 1,426 rank positions in five years	2013
Augusta	—Unranked	—	1919
Reynolds	18#5,347	Up 1,199 rank positions in five years	1923
Florence	—Unranked	—	1925
Lillian	—Unranked	—	1928
Marian	—Unranked	—	1926
Irene	—Unranked	—	1928
Hosie	—Unranked	—	1923
Leoma	—Unranked	—	1920
Ancil	—Unranked	—	1920
Son	—Unranked	—	1982
Orris	—Unranked	—	1918
Alverda	—Unranked	—	1922
Leva	7#12,625	new	1921
Elva	—Unranked	—	1918
Ingeborg	—Unranked	—	1930
Buren	—Unranked	—	1916
Lucy	8#9,388	Down 916 rank positions in five years	1924
Ova	—Unranked	—	1918

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1901 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.