Names That Peaked In 1926

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1926 and have never ranked as high since — the sound of that moment, frozen in the data. (The #1 names that year were Mary and Robert — reigning champions usually peak in a different year than they reign.)

Peaked in 1925 Peaked in 1927 Full 1926 top 100 The 1920s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Jean	88#2,130	Up 228 rank positions in five years	1927
Melvin	243#959	Down 207 rank positions in five years	1928
Leon	2,583#138	Up 58 rank positions in five years	1924
Nadine	128#1,627	Down 169 rank positions in five years	1958
Ernestine	—Unranked	—	1928
Aileen	340#799	Down 103 rank positions in five years	2009
Corrine	38#3,844	Up 99 rank positions in five years	1926
Wilda	—Unranked	—	1926
Wilburn	—Unranked	—	1926
Lavern	—Unranked	—	1957
Nevin	27#4,012	Down 1,732 rank positions in five years	2007
Reno	23#4,504	Up 7 rank positions in five years	1996
Donato	13#6,549	Down 2,704 rank positions in five years	1926
Ailene	18#6,330	Up 2,088 rank positions in five years	1926
Laurel	—Unranked	—	1926
Illa	10#9,708	Down 1,569 rank positions in five years	1926
Minoru	—Unranked	—	1921

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1926 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.