Names That Peaked In 1948

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1948 and have never ranked as high since — the sound of that moment, frozen in the data. (The #1 names that year were Linda and James — reigning champions usually peak in a different year than they reign.)

Peaked in 1947 Peaked in 1949 Full 1948 top 100 The 1940s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Maureen	32#4,423	Up 86 rank positions in five years	1957
Lana	768#406	Down 13 rank positions in five years	1948
Dianna	68#2,566	Down 365 rank positions in five years	1957
Noreen	33#4,326	Up 1,114 rank positions in five years	1948
Georgette	38#3,856	Up 1,512 rank positions in five years	1948
Cherry	42#3,587	Up 882 rank positions in five years	1947
Merry	9#10,630	Down 3,808 rank positions in five years	1954
Starr	63#2,747	Down 865 rank positions in five years	1997
Delois	—Unranked	—	1948
Elvia	29#4,688	Down 493 rank positions in five years	1991
Mickey	13#8,187	Down 735 rank positions in five years	1948
Carlotta	35#4,085	Up 697 rank positions in five years	1948
Karon	—Unranked	—	1948
Darell	87#1,828	Up 70 rank positions in five years	1988
Terrill	—Unranked	—	1975
Regena	—Unranked	—	1948
Regenia	—Unranked	—	1948
Pauletta	—Unranked	—	1948
Shirleen	—Unranked	—	1948
Lyndia	—Unranked	—	1948

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1948 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.