Names That Peaked In 1950

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1950 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 1949 Peaked in 1951 Full 1950 top 100 The 1950s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Nancy	265#967	Down 70 rank positions in five years	1947
Phillip	425#651	Down 132 rank positions in five years	1960
Marsha	14#7,747	Down 932 rank positions in five years	1952
Terrence	107#1,600	Down 467 rank positions in five years	1955
Donnie	89#1,796	Up 20 rank positions in five years	1952
Mona	61#2,806	Down 862 rank positions in five years	1957
Margarita	104#1,893	Up 199 rank positions in five years	1957
Bonita	11#8,955	Down 1,981 rank positions in five years	1950
Marta	92#2,056	Up 515 rank positions in five years	1957
Cathryn	8#11,131	Down 5,233 rank positions in five years	1956
Coleen	—Unranked	—	1959
Patrica	—Unranked	—	1962
Roseanne	22#5,677	Up 5,245 rank positions in five years	1950
Roseanna	34#4,253	Up 1,371 rank positions in five years	1950
Glynn	—Unranked	—	1950
Jacque	—Unranked	—	1950
Daryl	—Unranked	—	1950
Jerel	9#8,541	Down 1,311 rank positions in five years	1989
Kathlene	—Unranked	—	1950
Sanjuanita	—Unranked	—	1952
Lawrance	—Unranked	—	1950
Merrie	—Unranked	—	1959
Danniel	9#8,399	Down 2,638 rank positions in five years	1959
Sanjuana	—Unranked	—	1950
Deryl	—Unranked	—	1957
Lyn	—Unranked	—	1950
Michial	—Unranked	—	1954
Sharman	—Unranked	—	1950

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1950 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.