Names That Peaked In 1942

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1942 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 1941 Peaked in 1943 Full 1942 top 100 The 1940s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Douglas	308#807	Down 70 rank positions in five years	1957
Carolyn	185#1,222	Down 275 rank positions in five years	1947
Lawrence	578#520	Up 43 rank positions in five years	1952
Carole	9#10,254	Up 2,142 rank positions in five years	1942
Rosalind	140#1,521	Down 90 rank positions in five years	1965
Jerald	26#4,080	Down 846 rank positions in five years	1942
Saundra	—Unranked	—	1947
Gerry	8#9,182	Down 3,860 rank positions in five years	1958
Maryanne	41#3,685	Up 1,907 rank positions in five years	1957
Mac	390#696	Up 238 rank positions in five years	2022
Lanny	—Unranked	—	1949
Jerold	—Unranked	—	1942
Marilee	13#8,164	Up 8,492 rank positions in five years	1947
Carolynn	45#3,408	Up 150 rank positions in five years	1942
Douglass	—Unranked	—	1970
Judie	—Unranked	—	1943
Rona	—Unranked	—	1966
Jerilyn	7#12,471	Down 937 rank positions in five years	1942
Jerrie	—Unranked	—	1946
Niles	54#2,506	Down 466 rank positions in five years	1998
Michal	33#4,319	Down 432 rank positions in five years	1985
Carolyne	9#10,256	Down 2,624 rank positions in five years	1942
Allyn	—Unranked	—	1946
Georgeann	—Unranked	—	1947
Mcarthur	—Unranked	—	1942
Georgiann	—Unranked	—	1948
Merrilee	—Unranked	—	1942
Barrie	—Unranked	—	1942
Macarthur	6#11,485	Down 6,110 rank positions in five years	1942
Jerilynn	—Unranked	—	1942
Jerrilyn	—Unranked	—	1942
Merrily	5#16,473	new	1942
Kaaren	—Unranked	—	1942
Aloma	—Unranked	—	1942

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1942 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.