Names That Peaked In 1940

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1940 and have never ranked as high since — the sound of that moment, frozen in the data. (The #1 names that year were Mary and James — reigning champions usually peak in a different year than they reign.)

Peaked in 1939 Peaked in 1941 Full 1940 top 100 The 1940s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
James	11,945#6	Steady	1947
Jerry	262#907	Down 306 rank positions in five years	1947
Judith	344#790	Up 120 rank positions in five years	1943
Allen	507#578	Down 115 rank positions in five years	1951
Priscilla	555#544	Up 19 rank positions in five years	1942
Allan	223#1,013	Down 187 rank positions in five years	1947
Wendell	67#2,165	Down 53 rank positions in five years	1940
Pat	—Unranked	—	1941
Sondra	7#13,009	new	1942
Jerry	—Unranked	—	1943
Earnestine	—Unranked	—	1944
Kennith	6#11,370	Down 1,263 rank positions in five years	1956
Connie	—Unranked	—	1946
Larry	—Unranked	—	1955
Gaylon	—Unranked	—	1949
Jame	—Unranked	—	1957
Lonna	—Unranked	—	1947
Windell	7#10,619	new	1941
Jerrel	—Unranked	—	1987
Merlene	—Unranked	—	1940
Wendel	5#13,788	new	1940
Tex	33#3,501	Up 1,021 rank positions in five years	1940
Gloria	—Unranked	—	1940
Janice	—Unranked	—	1940

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1940 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.