Names That Peaked In 1952

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1952 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 1951 Peaked in 1953 Full 1952 top 100 The 1950s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Bruce	558#536	Down 38 rank positions in five years	1956
Dale	129#1,410	Down 54 rank positions in five years	1958
Claudia	219#1,096	Down 75 rank positions in five years	1952
Neal	82#1,914	Down 342 rank positions in five years	1959
Randolph	20#5,002	Down 1,219 rank positions in five years	1952
Rosalyn	237#1,051	Down 202 rank positions in five years	1955
Monte	121#1,473	Up 21 rank positions in five years	1956
Dale	5#15,446	new	1952
Denis	95#1,712	Down 37 rank positions in five years	1952
Charmaine	—Unranked	—	1952
Cornell	14#6,190	Down 3,045 rank positions in five years	1962
Valorie	39#3,827	Up 709 rank positions in five years	1958
Nanci	—Unranked	—	1953
Gaye	—Unranked	—	1960
Val	22#4,691	Up 7,229 rank positions in five years	1952
Meryl	12#8,687	Down 3,089 rank positions in five years	1956
Randy	—Unranked	—	1952
Herlinda	14#7,624	Up 3,847 rank positions in five years	1952
Kathaleen	—Unranked	—	1952
Jacqulyn	—Unranked	—	1952
Ellyn	7#12,274	Down 1,762 rank positions in five years	1991
Butch	—Unranked	—	1956
Pandora	31#4,525	Down 863 rank positions in five years	1952
Rand	15#6,071	Down 1,252 rank positions in five years	1952
Mikeal	5#13,257	Down 4,751 rank positions in five years	1952
Gwenda	—Unranked	—	1952
Theodis	—Unranked	—	1955
Brinda	6#13,487	Up 269 rank positions in five years	1952
Deborah	—Unranked	—	1955
Garey	—Unranked	—	1952
Debera	—Unranked	—	1955

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1952 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.