Names That Peaked In 1928

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1928 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 1927 Peaked in 1929 Full 1928 top 100 The 1920s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Betty	212#1,113	Up 62 rank positions in five years	1930
Herbert	49#2,656	Down 353 rank positions in five years	1928
Lorraine	238#1,044	Up 350 rank positions in five years	1928
Ramona	373#733	Up 71 rank positions in five years	1928
Malcolm	1,257#272	Up 19 rank positions in five years	1992
Johnnie	42#3,608	Up 503 rank positions in five years	1928
Laverne	9#10,538	new	1924
Reba	9#10,729	Down 4,699 rank positions in five years	1925
Jean	176#1,172	Up 248 rank positions in five years	1993
James	59#2,873	Down 290 rank positions in five years	1928
Juana	185#1,223	Up 273 rank positions in five years	1994
Carmen	104#1,624	Up 3,100 rank positions in five years	1924
Lilia	315#859	Up 295 rank positions in five years	2025
Rolland	16#5,794	Down 1,678 rank positions in five years	1928
Germaine	6#13,785	new	1928
Charline	6#13,548	Down 3,845 rank positions in five years	1928
Paul	—Unranked	—	1928
Romona	5#16,774	new	1955
Margarito	19#5,138	Up 4,106 rank positions in five years	1928
Winford	—Unranked	—	1928
Audry	—Unranked	—	1928
Rosaline	85#2,192	Up 1,192 rank positions in five years	1928
Johnny	8#11,363	Up 1,379 rank positions in five years	1959
Raymond	—Unranked	—	1928
Amparo	8#10,997	new	1927
Romaine	—Unranked	—	1928
Norwood	—Unranked	—	1921
Jack	6#13,882	Down 6,169 rank positions in five years	1928
Christeen	—Unranked	—	1928
Fidencio	6#11,100	Down 3,408 rank positions in five years	1928
Melvin	—Unranked	—	1928
Joline	—Unranked	—	1928
Felicitas	—Unranked	—	1928
Dorman	—Unranked	—	1928
Hortensia	—Unranked	—	1928
Merwin	—Unranked	—	1928
Willodean	—Unranked	—	1928
Hoover	—Unranked	—	1928

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1928 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.