Names That Peaked In 1929

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1929 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 1928 Peaked in 1930 Full 1929 top 100 The 1920s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Doris	58#2,909	Down 529 rank positions in five years	1928
Lois	124#1,670	Up 176 rank positions in five years	1927
Phyllis	7#12,869	Down 6,846 rank positions in five years	1947
Billie	409#691	Up 318 rank positions in five years	1930
Alfonso	223#1,012	Down 5 rank positions in five years	1991
Billie	13#6,498	Up 2,348 rank positions in five years	1930
Jeannine	9#10,454	new	1929
Esperanza	188#1,209	Down 260 rank positions in five years	2000
Robert	5#16,768	new	1929
Marianna	308#874	Down 46 rank positions in five years	2006
Benito	226#1,002	Up 600 rank positions in five years	2025
Gregorio	59#2,336	Down 185 rank positions in five years	1993
Evangelina	195#1,187	Up 340 rank positions in five years	2012
Bennie	61#2,782	Up 4,493 rank positions in five years	1929
Richard	—Unranked	—	1928
Marcelino	102#1,649	Down 20 rank positions in five years	2006
Socorro	9#10,801	Up 6,388 rank positions in five years	1929
Leopoldo	39#3,108	Up 135 rank positions in five years	1980
Normand	—Unranked	—	1929
Edward	—Unranked	—	1928
Kenneth	—Unranked	—	1964
Concepcion	5#15,427	Up 212 rank positions in five years	1925
Hilario	30#3,687	Down 82 rank positions in five years	1996
Vita	32#4,453	Down 546 rank positions in five years	1921
Soledad	28#4,864	Up 426 rank positions in five years	2006
Verlin	—Unranked	—	1929
Herminia	—Unranked	—	1929
Davey	34#3,393	Up 271 rank positions in five years	1955
Coralie	56#2,964	Up 18 rank positions in five years	2016
Velia	11#9,423	Up 3,956 rank positions in five years	1929
Harold	—Unranked	—	1927
Derald	—Unranked	—	1929
Ralph	—Unranked	—	1927
Margene	—Unranked	—	1951
Norman	—Unranked	—	1926
Margy	—Unranked	—	1929
Sydell	—Unranked	—	1929

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1929 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.