Names That Peaked In 1944

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1944 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 1943 Peaked in 1945 Full 1944 top 100 The 1940s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Johnny	682#458	Down 70 rank positions in five years	1947
Jimmy	291#847	Down 120 rank positions in five years	1947
Tommy	420#658	Up 87 rank positions in five years	1947
Glenda	20#5,986	Down 775 rank positions in five years	1950
Jan	47#2,731	Down 675 rank positions in five years	1954
Sammie	16#5,804	Down 974 rank positions in five years	1947
Santos	337#766	Up 152 rank positions in five years	2025
Domingo	74#2,025	Down 189 rank positions in five years	1946
Marilynn	41#3,684	Down 633 rank positions in five years	1947
Maryellen	22#5,653	Down 392 rank positions in five years	1960
Dottie	158#1,385	Up 922 rank positions in five years	1943
Karol	45#3,425	Down 479 rank positions in five years	2005
Sherrill	—Unranked	—	1947
Jonnie	16#6,967	Up 2,892 rank positions in five years	1947
Dorinda	—Unranked	—	1957
Woody	10#8,216	Down 198 rank positions in five years	1946
Sharon	—Unranked	—	1944
Durwood	—Unranked	—	1943
Glynda	—Unranked	—	1947
Karyl	—Unranked	—	1944

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1944 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.