Names That Peaked In 1943

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1943 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 1942 Peaked in 1944 Full 1943 top 100 The 1940s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Sharon	179#1,256	Down 112 rank positions in five years	1947
Eileen	437#654	Up 47 rank positions in five years	1947
Maryann	114#1,773	Up 372 rank positions in five years	1943
Gay	—Unranked	—	1959
Sharron	—Unranked	—	1943
Roseann	17#6,775	Up 722 rank positions in five years	1943
Edwina	8#11,195	new	1943
Ronny	34#3,433	Down 824 rank positions in five years	1947
Kaye	18#6,441	Up 3,462 rank positions in five years	1947
Fredric	15#5,943	Down 149 rank positions in five years	1947
Darleen	10#9,604	Down 1,529 rank positions in five years	1958
Ruthann	22#5,678	Down 52 rank positions in five years	1943
Gerry	—Unranked	—	1943
Carroll	—Unranked	—	1943
Curtiss	—Unranked	—	1959
Carolee	—Unranked	—	1943
Carlyn	12#8,460	Down 3,108 rank positions in five years	1992
Carrol	—Unranked	—	1943
Sharen	—Unranked	—	1947
Charolette	42#3,586	Up 882 rank positions in five years	1943
Phylis	—Unranked	—	1949
Susann	6#14,731	new	1943
Sherron	—Unranked	—	1947
Rosann	—Unranked	—	1952
Prentiss	—Unranked	—	1943
Dennis	—Unranked	—	1947
Sandra	—Unranked	—	1943
Karren	—Unranked	—	1943
Carolyn	—Unranked	—	1943
Rozanne	—Unranked	—	1943

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1943 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.