Names That Peaked In 1986

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1986 and have never ranked as high since — the sound of that moment, frozen in the data. (The #1 names that year were Jessica and Michael — reigning champions usually peak in a different year than they reign.)

Peaked in 1985 Peaked in 1987 Full 1986 top 100 The 1980s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Ryan	3,532#99	Down 42 rank positions in five years	1985
Amber	576#520	Down 10 rank positions in five years	1986
Katie	447#646	Down 166 rank positions in five years	1986
Erica	156#1,399	Down 288 rank positions in five years	1986
Brett	133#1,382	Down 457 rank positions in five years	1986
Alison	644#476	Down 36 rank positions in five years	1980
Whitney	238#1,046	Down 105 rank positions in five years	1986
Natasha	202#1,148	Down 203 rank positions in five years	1987
Felicia	22#5,606	Down 542 rank positions in five years	1986
Casey	228#1,065	Down 1 rank positions in five years	1987
Krista	41#3,678	Down 978 rank positions in five years	1986
Mallory	825#372	Up 194 rank positions in five years	1986
Cristina	128#1,622	Down 327 rank positions in five years	1990
Dane	301#821	Up 13 rank positions in five years	1986
Mayra	86#2,168	Down 592 rank positions in five years	1987
Christa	17#6,597	Down 1,686 rank positions in five years	1986
Ryan	393#715	Down 264 rank positions in five years	2018
Pierre	159#1,253	Down 138 rank positions in five years	1988
Princess	209#1,122	Down 327 rank positions in five years	2006
Meaghan	—Unranked	—	1986
Ashly	176#1,273	Up 509 rank positions in five years	1987
Nikita	31#4,523	Down 1,147 rank positions in five years	1986
Ali	44#3,462	Down 1,456 rank positions in five years	2011
Ashlie	9#10,200	new	1988
Sade	92#2,058	Up 356 rank positions in five years	1986
Corey	24#5,277	Down 903 rank positions in five years	1986
Shea	111#1,552	Down 42 rank positions in five years	1986
Amberly	95#2,002	Down 221 rank positions in five years	1991
Whitney	13#6,778	Up 689 rank positions in five years	1986
Yaakov	218#1,025	Up 80 rank positions in five years	2021
Keshia	—Unranked	—	1986
Domonique	—Unranked	—	1986
Joshua	—Unranked	—	1986
Kyrie	73#2,449	Down 851 rank positions in five years	2016
Halley	43#3,536	Up 507 rank positions in five years	1986
Britta	14#7,556	Down 3,769 rank positions in five years	1986
Brett	11#8,959	Down 2,281 rank positions in five years	1986
Nakita	—Unranked	—	1986
Jermey	—Unranked	—	1986
Martell	11#7,493	Down 1,321 rank positions in five years	1986
Jaymes	15#5,972	Down 2,012 rank positions in five years	1986
Shaquita	—Unranked	—	1986
Sable	64#2,717	Up 2,742 rank positions in five years	1986
Cherelle	—Unranked	—	1986
Shatara	—Unranked	—	1986
Shardae	—Unranked	—	1986
Sharde	—Unranked	—	1986
Cherrelle	—Unranked	—	1986
Sharday	—Unranked	—	1986

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1986 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.