Names That Peaked In 1968

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1968 and have never ranked as high since — the sound of that moment, frozen in the data. (The #1 names that year were Lisa and Michael — reigning champions usually peak in a different year than they reign.)

Peaked in 1967 Peaked in 1969 Full 1968 top 100 The 1960s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Michelle	661#465	Down 129 rank positions in five years	1969
Tina	61#2,815	Down 646 rank positions in five years	1968
Michele	28#4,836	Down 780 rank positions in five years	1968
Jon	246#951	Down 141 rank positions in five years	1964
Carmen	798#389	Up 44 rank positions in five years	1960
Reginald	153#1,284	Down 294 rank positions in five years	1962
Toni	81#2,274	Down 633 rank positions in five years	1960
Kelly	84#1,881	Down 361 rank positions in five years	1967
Kelley	15#7,320	Down 2,715 rank positions in five years	1968
Dexter	393#693	Down 135 rank positions in five years	2012
Tammie	6#14,752	new	1963
Leann	34#4,231	Down 1,280 rank positions in five years	1963
Darcy	316#857	Up 334 rank positions in five years	1970
Stacy	15#6,093	Up 889 rank positions in five years	1968
Ladonna	6#14,139	Up 2,307 rank positions in five years	1964
Deanne	—Unranked	—	1962
Donnell	26#4,066	Down 1,367 rank positions in five years	1982
Stacey	6#11,802	Down 5,558 rank positions in five years	1968
Tammi	—Unranked	—	1968
Gena	—Unranked	—	1968
Annemarie	57#2,934	Down 80 rank positions in five years	1968
Charla	—Unranked	—	1969
Lissette	19#6,240	Down 250 rank positions in five years	1989
Marlo	109#1,839	Up 327 rank positions in five years	1970
Shelli	—Unranked	—	1968
Josette	109#1,836	Up 551 rank positions in five years	1968
Kelley	9#8,597	Down 2,755 rank positions in five years	1968
Kraig	—Unranked	—	1968
Brigette	14#7,554	Up 2,852 rank positions in five years	1968
Aretha	—Unranked	—	1968
Nichelle	8#11,635	Down 2,265 rank positions in five years	1968
Tye	36#3,305	Down 692 rank positions in five years	2006
Thor	44#2,874	Down 1,098 rank positions in five years	2015
Mark	—Unranked	—	1961
Dedra	—Unranked	—	1963
Mechelle	—Unranked	—	1968
Timothy	—Unranked	—	1981
Kimberli	9#10,516	Down 4,018 rank positions in five years	1968
Lavonda	—Unranked	—	1968
Michelle	—Unranked	—	1971
Machelle	—Unranked	—	1968
Milissa	—Unranked	—	1968
Tamatha	—Unranked	—	1968
Anthoney	—Unranked	—	1971
Darcy	25#4,158	Up 4,058 rank positions in five years	1970
Coretta	—Unranked	—	1968
Towanda	—Unranked	—	1971
Melissia	—Unranked	—	1968

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1968 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.