Names That Peaked In 1978

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1978 and have never ranked as high since — the sound of that moment, frozen in the data. (The #1 names that year were Jennifer and Michael — reigning champions usually peak in a different year than they reign.)

Peaked in 1977 Peaked in 1979 Full 1978 top 100 The 1970s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Andrea	1,317#235	Down 86 rank positions in five years	1981
Brandy	53#3,072	Up 221 rank positions in five years	1981
Kristi	14#7,697	Up 1,558 rank positions in five years	1971
Kristy	25#5,165	Down 1,912 rank positions in five years	1978
Shaun	79#1,956	Down 818 rank positions in five years	1978
Damien	935#352	Down 75 rank positions in five years	2007
Kristopher	172#1,190	Down 361 rank positions in five years	1978
Tabitha	171#1,308	Up 34 rank positions in five years	1978
Janelle	340#801	Down 130 rank positions in five years	1979
Shanna	7#12,978	Down 3,534 rank positions in five years	1978
Aron	377#711	Up 13 rank positions in five years	2008
Lakeisha	—Unranked	—	1979
Marlena	56#2,983	Down 549 rank positions in five years	1978
Monika	18#6,477	Down 2,241 rank positions in five years	1990
Kristofer	31#3,621	Down 664 rank positions in five years	1978
Christal	13#7,972	Up 1,095 rank positions in five years	1978
Jed	76#1,999	Down 333 rank positions in five years	1978
Aja	44#3,460	Down 1,424 rank positions in five years	1978
Cristy	15#7,212	Down 1,305 rank positions in five years	1978
Lakesha	—Unranked	—	1978
Jamil	48#2,695	Down 518 rank positions in five years	1991
Cory	14#7,574	Up 1,500 rank positions in five years	1978
Cedrick	35#3,323	Up 103 rank positions in five years	1978
Jade	57#2,405	Up 19 rank positions in five years	1994
Kenji	249#944	Down 31 rank positions in five years	2022
Hasan	184#1,147	Up 153 rank positions in five years	2025
Delvin	22#4,575	Down 1,908 rank positions in five years	1978
Shanta	—Unranked	—	1978
Chrissy	14#7,568	Down 2,054 rank positions in five years	1978
Shasta	5#16,900	Up 253 rank positions in five years	1979
Adrain	5#12,039	Down 7,765 rank positions in five years	1978
Tarik	36#3,303	Down 176 rank positions in five years	1996
Kenisha	9#10,502	Down 1,266 rank positions in five years	1978
Kristoffer	12#7,021	Down 1,432 rank positions in five years	1978
Donta	10#7,806	Down 3,350 rank positions in five years	1991
Kindra	6#14,105	new	1987
Ariane	18#6,350	Down 1,016 rank positions in five years	1978
Kellee	—Unranked	—	1978
Christel	—Unranked	—	1978
Shanita	—Unranked	—	1978
Natosha	—Unranked	—	1986
Jameel	19#5,107	Down 634 rank positions in five years	1978
Shaunna	—Unranked	—	1978
Marlana	6#14,313	Down 5,562 rank positions in five years	1978
Anwar	38#3,128	Up 222 rank positions in five years	1978
Qiana	5#16,691	Down 7,873 rank positions in five years	1978
Jeb	14#6,255	Down 1,778 rank positions in five years	1981
Crissy	—Unranked	—	1978
Nakisha	—Unranked	—	1978
Somer	5#16,947	Down 2,069 rank positions in five years	1978
Krissy	5#16,208	Down 6,270 rank positions in five years	1978
January	9#10,444	Down 4,271 rank positions in five years	1978

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1978 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.