Names That Peaked In 1979

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1979 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 1978 Peaked in 1980 Full 1979 top 100 The 1970s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Travis	732#434	Down 96 rank positions in five years	1989
April	557#542	Down 25 rank positions in five years	1980
Holly	751#416	Up 63 rank positions in five years	1983
Terrance	109#1,570	Down 607 rank positions in five years	1988
Mindy	75#2,401	Down 271 rank positions in five years	1979
Trisha	44#3,510	Down 290 rank positions in five years	1979
Alissa	99#1,942	Down 524 rank positions in five years	1998
Jayson	384#700	Down 171 rank positions in five years	2004
Lesley	30#4,616	Down 1,492 rank positions in five years	1980
Shauna	11#9,371	Down 2,775 rank positions in five years	1979
Brianne	24#5,266	Down 1,919 rank positions in five years	1979
Latisha	—Unranked	—	1979
Elissa	108#1,848	Down 503 rank positions in five years	1979
Janna	84#2,203	Up 108 rank positions in five years	1979
Janell	18#6,417	Down 2,612 rank positions in five years	1979
Antwan	50#2,606	Down 641 rank positions in five years	1980
Reggie	85#1,860	Up 28 rank positions in five years	1979
Leif	257#917	Down 3 rank positions in five years	2022
Jovan	93#1,746	Down 342 rank positions in five years	1998
Jedidiah	274#876	Down 153 rank positions in five years	2017
Lindy	131#1,604	Up 828 rank positions in five years	1979
Siobhan	90#2,096	Up 560 rank positions in five years	1980
Ayesha	156#1,396	Up 73 rank positions in five years	2016
Latosha	—Unranked	—	1979
Johnpaul	101#1,658	Down 128 rank positions in five years	2005
Sharonda	—Unranked	—	1980
Mellissa	—Unranked	—	1979
Rian	160#1,250	Down 81 rank positions in five years	2021
Shanika	—Unranked	—	1979
Bambi	17#6,580	new	1979
Shara	6#14,676	Up 2,470 rank positions in five years	1979
Mellisa	—Unranked	—	1979
Mindi	—Unranked	—	1979
Keli	8#11,420	Up 2,867 rank positions in five years	1979
Quiana	5#16,696	Down 1,986 rank positions in five years	1979
Shavon	—Unranked	—	1979
Sharee	—Unranked	—	1979
Meghann	—Unranked	—	1979
Jamin	34#3,402	Up 206 rank positions in five years	1979
Jeremey	—Unranked	—	1979
Jedediah	45#2,817	Down 294 rank positions in five years	1979
Nicholaus	5#13,328	Down 4,802 rank positions in five years	1981
Shavonne	—Unranked	—	1979
Rustin	62#2,280	Up 259 rank positions in five years	1979
Antwain	5#12,160	Down 4,620 rank positions in five years	1979
Zebulon	20#5,041	Down 1,025 rank positions in five years	1979
Kylene	—Unranked	—	1979

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1979 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.