Names That Peaked In 1981

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1981 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 1980 Peaked in 1982 Full 1981 top 100 The 1980s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Sara	1,568#198	Down 15 rank positions in five years	1981
Joel	1,633#219	Down 12 rank positions in five years	1985
Leslie	393#712	Down 116 rank positions in five years	1957
Kristin	29#4,705	Down 1,584 rank positions in five years	1981
Brandi	28#4,784	Down 1,849 rank positions in five years	1981
Clinton	94#1,732	Down 362 rank positions in five years	1981
Elisa	674#458	Up 53 rank positions in five years	2012
Ernesto	272#878	Down 86 rank positions in five years	2003
Rodolfo	121#1,474	Down 187 rank positions in five years	1981
Felipe	244#955	Down 83 rank positions in five years	2001
Latasha	—Unranked	—	1981
Gilberto	114#1,521	Down 332 rank positions in five years	1993
Ramiro	201#1,074	Down 12 rank positions in five years	2001
Rogelio	180#1,163	Down 165 rank positions in five years	2005
Efrain	118#1,494	Down 238 rank positions in five years	1993
Tiffani	7#13,072	Down 2,064 rank positions in five years	1981
Dara	207#1,129	Up 200 rank positions in five years	1981
Jesse	72#2,471	Up 139 rank positions in five years	1981
Dusty	32#3,531	Down 498 rank positions in five years	1981
Latrice	5#16,252	Down 5,499 rank positions in five years	1981
Griselda	47#3,308	Up 111 rank positions in five years	1993
Jenelle	19#6,210	Down 3,299 rank positions in five years	1981
Marcello	265#900	Up 261 rank positions in five years	2025
Jessi	52#3,118	Down 251 rank positions in five years	1981
Joi	48#3,271	Down 911 rank positions in five years	1981
Shamika	—Unranked	—	1981
Norberto	17#5,538	Up 354 rank positions in five years	1981
Adalberto	12#6,807	Down 2,891 rank positions in five years	1993
Cristin	—Unranked	—	1981
Sherita	—Unranked	—	1981
Nereida	—Unranked	—	1981
Tyrel	19#5,186	Up 1,403 rank positions in five years	1981
Martine	8#11,552	Down 1,540 rank positions in five years	1981
Tashina	—Unranked	—	1981
Latoyia	—Unranked	—	1981
Evita	8#11,250	new	1981
Marchello	—Unranked	—	1981

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1981 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.