Names That Peaked In 1946

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1946 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 1945 Peaked in 1947 Full 1946 top 100 The 1940s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Terry	192#1,116	Down 183 rank positions in five years	1957
Judy	105#1,874	Down 291 rank positions in five years	1947
Jane	1,380#221	Up 43 rank positions in five years	1947
Diana	1,277#244	Up 1 rank positions in five years	1957
Wayne	422#655	Up 120 rank positions in five years	1947
Ellen	230#1,062	Down 253 rank positions in five years	1951
Suzanne	75#2,407	Up 1,133 rank positions in five years	1962
Ronnie	204#1,067	Steady	1947
Jeanne	30#4,600	Down 893 rank positions in five years	1947
Rosemary	1,222#251	Up 191 rank positions in five years	1947
Sue	11#9,384	new	1947
Bernadette	241#1,034	Up 411 rank positions in five years	1958
Paulette	138#1,536	Up 128 rank positions in five years	1948
Sammy	85#1,864	Down 290 rank positions in five years	1947
Francine	108#1,850	Up 817 rank positions in five years	1951
Freddy	127#1,422	Down 155 rank positions in five years	1947
Susanne	8#11,811	Up 3,090 rank positions in five years	1949
Trudy	25#5,224	Up 837 rank positions in five years	1947
Rodger	18#5,351	Up 57 rank positions in five years	1949
Denny	24#4,283	Up 1,017 rank positions in five years	1947
Judi	9#10,470	Up 2,282 rank positions in five years	1947
Dannie	18#5,250	Down 519 rank positions in five years	1953
Eloy	41#3,009	Down 380 rank positions in five years	1993
Ronnie	113#1,792	Up 542 rank positions in five years	1947
Dian	—Unranked	—	1946
Leslee	—Unranked	—	1957
Sherryl	—Unranked	—	1957
Suzann	—Unranked	—	1947
Sherilyn	—Unranked	—	1946
Ronald	—Unranked	—	1967
Sheron	—Unranked	—	1946
Ilona	38#3,860	Up 1,358 rank positions in five years	1946
Garold	—Unranked	—	1946
Corliss	—Unranked	—	1946
Ruthanne	18#6,505	Up 85 rank positions in five years	1946
Harrell	—Unranked	—	1947
Cheryll	—Unranked	—	1955
Roddy	10#8,111	Up 2,266 rank positions in five years	1960
Dayle	—Unranked	—	1946
Cherryl	—Unranked	—	1947
Lary	—Unranked	—	1946

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1946 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.