Names That Peaked In 1937

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1937 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 1936 Peaked in 1938 Full 1937 top 100 The 1930s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Patricia	167#1,336	Down 219 rank positions in five years	1951
Barbara	264#968	Down 82 rank positions in five years	1947
Joyce	226#1,074	Down 97 rank positions in five years	1942
Beverly	246#1,018	Up 249 rank positions in five years	1953
Peggy	12#8,738	Down 2,718 rank positions in five years	1958
Sylvia	1,017#300	Up 202 rank positions in five years	1937
Yvonne	92#2,063	Down 321 rank positions in five years	1953
Gene	63#2,238	Down 578 rank positions in five years	1937
Carlton	43#2,892	Down 651 rank positions in five years	1957
Pat	—Unranked	—	1960
Tommie	78#2,352	Up 1,142 rank positions in five years	1943
Melva	—Unranked	—	1938
Marylou	28#4,834	Up 760 rank positions in five years	1942
Shelton	21#4,836	Down 1,359 rank positions in five years	1972
Lidia	132#1,589	Up 59 rank positions in five years	2008
Freddie	14#7,610	Up 960 rank positions in five years	1942
Bernie	9#8,348	Down 3,082 rank positions in five years	1960
Carol	—Unranked	—	1937
Lauren	—Unranked	—	1989
Rayford	5#13,442	new	1937
Arvin	68#2,127	Down 214 rank positions in five years	2017
Gaynell	—Unranked	—	1952
Denzil	—Unranked	—	1937
Jonell	—Unranked	—	1953
Shelba	—Unranked	—	1937
Verdell	—Unranked	—	1932
Ozell	5#13,383	Down 1,750 rank positions in five years	1937
Dorris	—Unranked	—	1922
Mervyn	—Unranked	—	1937
Janet	—Unranked	—	1943
Harlene	5#15,739	Up 233 rank positions in five years	1937
Shelva	—Unranked	—	1937
Marilyn	—Unranked	—	1937
Norita	—Unranked	—	1937

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1937 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.