Names That Peaked In 1936

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1936 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 1935 Peaked in 1937 Full 1936 top 100 The 1930s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Ann	225#1,076	Up 29 rank positions in five years	1957
Gerald	168#1,206	Down 251 rank positions in five years	1942
Marilyn	356#761	Down 127 rank positions in five years	1947
Roberta	61#2,809	Up 858 rank positions in five years	1953
Patsy	20#6,058	Up 795 rank positions in five years	1941
Rosemarie	115#1,767	Up 138 rank positions in five years	1936
Sheldon	46#2,787	Down 896 rank positions in five years	1992
Claudette	9#10,262	Down 1,191 rank positions in five years	1935
Arline	—Unranked	—	1924
Carlene	5#15,369	Down 6,875 rank positions in five years	1955
Marva	—Unranked	—	1948
Marlys	—Unranked	—	1937
Gail	—Unranked	—	1942
Toby	101#1,923	Up 109 rank positions in five years	1941
Sammie	32#4,442	Down 712 rank positions in five years	1943
Genaro	62#2,268	Up 210 rank positions in five years	2000
Marlyn	22#5,652	Down 1,144 rank positions in five years	1936
Jeanetta	—Unranked	—	1961
Evonne	10#9,657	Up 1,763 rank positions in five years	1957
Gayle	—Unranked	—	1936
Shirlene	—Unranked	—	1956
Waymon	6#11,906	new	1936
Marylin	11#9,255	Up 65 rank positions in five years	1943
Arlan	57#2,392	Up 414 rank positions in five years	1936
Larae	11#9,204	Down 3,220 rank positions in five years	1975
Harlen	59#2,338	Up 225 rank positions in five years	1936
Marylyn	7#12,712	Up 1,789 rank positions in five years	1936
Sherrill	—Unranked	—	1936
Ardyce	—Unranked	—	1936

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1936 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.