Names That Peaked In 1949

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1949 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 1948 Peaked in 1950 Full 1949 top 100 The 1940s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Stephen	829#383	Down 61 rank positions in five years	1952
Kathleen	201#1,156	Down 151 rank positions in five years	1951
Dennis	381#707	Down 60 rank positions in five years	1952
Constance	142#1,501	Up 61 rank positions in five years	1950
Charlene	99#1,948	Down 244 rank positions in five years	1952
Vaughn	183#1,153	Down 49 rank positions in five years	1949
Jeanie	21#5,806	Up 2,356 rank positions in five years	1957
Galen	23#4,441	Down 1,704 rank positions in five years	1949
Rosalinda	86#2,169	Down 278 rank positions in five years	2000
Sharlene	9#10,784	Down 3,904 rank positions in five years	1956
Portia	14#7,801	Down 1,999 rank positions in five years	1989
Carleen	—Unranked	—	1961
Stanton	29#3,835	Up 682 rank positions in five years	1954
Donn	—Unranked	—	1949
Lawerence	—Unranked	—	1949
Erlinda	—Unranked	—	1949
Ronna	—Unranked	—	1963
Phillis	—Unranked	—	1949
Mickie	7#12,741	Down 2,714 rank positions in five years	1949
Vernell	—Unranked	—	1954
Candyce	—Unranked	—	1985
Drema	—Unranked	—	1959
Lindell	—Unranked	—	1949
Lenwood	—Unranked	—	1949
Pamelia	—Unranked	—	1954
Gaylen	—Unranked	—	1949
Lannie	—Unranked	—	1949
Kathleen	—Unranked	—	1949

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1949 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.