Names That Peaked In 1991

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1991 and have never ranked as high since — the sound of that moment, frozen in the data. (The #1 names that year were Ashley and Michael — reigning champions usually peak in a different year than they reign.)

Peaked in 1990 Peaked in 1992 Full 1991 top 100 The 1990s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Ashley	1,829#164	Down 11 rank positions in five years	1987
Katherine	1,670#186	Down 50 rank positions in five years	1990
Cody	1,076#318	Down 21 rank positions in five years	1992
Molly	1,601#196	Down 23 rank positions in five years	1991
Shelby	444#649	Down 148 rank positions in five years	1991
Francisco	1,069#322	Down 26 rank positions in five years	1993
Ana	1,276#245	Down 1 rank positions in five years	1991
Ariel	851#356	Down 156 rank positions in five years	1991
Alberto	301#819	Down 138 rank positions in five years	1991
Kirsten	60#2,841	Down 357 rank positions in five years	1991
Mercedes	150#1,439	Down 166 rank positions in five years	1991
Demetrius	164#1,229	Down 373 rank positions in five years	1991
Ashleigh	16#6,875	Down 2,859 rank positions in five years	1991
Arielle	618#486	Down 140 rank positions in five years	1991
Dominique	121#1,468	Down 323 rank positions in five years	1991
Ariel	533#558	Up 7 rank positions in five years	1991
Stefan	219#1,023	Down 142 rank positions in five years	1991
Devon	44#3,479	Down 375 rank positions in five years	1991
Karissa	58#2,915	Down 1,089 rank positions in five years	1991
Chanel	170#1,311	Down 596 rank positions in five years	1991
Devin	86#2,158	Up 374 rank positions in five years	1991
Shayna	72#2,479	Down 385 rank positions in five years	1991
Cristal	37#3,921	Down 855 rank positions in five years	1991
Kaila	88#2,133	Down 333 rank positions in five years	1991
Jordon	26#4,083	Down 1,703 rank positions in five years	1991
Rocio	46#3,376	Down 800 rank positions in five years	1992
Kacey	211#1,118	Up 115 rank positions in five years	1991
Ivette	89#2,110	Up 71 rank positions in five years	1991
Cayla	30#4,577	Down 1,547 rank positions in five years	1999
Nestor	113#1,535	Up 205 rank positions in five years	1991
Breanne	7#12,126	Down 5,450 rank positions in five years	1991
German	112#1,541	Down 112 rank positions in five years	1991
Kelsi	37#3,947	Down 1,464 rank positions in five years	1991
Marcela	136#1,554	Up 300 rank positions in five years	1999
Iesha	—Unranked	—	1991
Danae	74#2,417	Down 544 rank positions in five years	2001
Laken	256#990	Up 195 rank positions in five years	2025
Demarco	19#5,082	Down 2,311 rank positions in five years	1998
Shelbi	13#8,276	Up 1,882 rank positions in five years	1992
Chanelle	20#5,959	Down 2,262 rank positions in five years	1991
Devan	—Unranked	—	1991
Shaniqua	—Unranked	—	1991
Shay	77#1,989	Down 226 rank positions in five years	1991
Tyesha	—Unranked	—	1991
Nikko	147#1,319	Down 132 rank positions in five years	2021
Symone	34#4,258	Down 928 rank positions in five years	1991
Anjelica	8#11,015	Down 696 rank positions in five years	1991
Kirstie	—Unranked	—	1991
Martez	20#4,975	Down 1,730 rank positions in five years	1992
Chelsi	7#12,174	Up 1,625 rank positions in five years	1991
Desean	23#4,428	Down 1,870 rank positions in five years	2010
Kelby	18#5,311	Down 823 rank positions in five years	1991
Rayshawn	36#3,295	Down 501 rank positions in five years	2006
Shanae	7#12,975	Down 2,820 rank positions in five years	1991
Tiesha	—Unranked	—	1991
Kadeem	24#4,315	Down 787 rank positions in five years	1991
Codie	10#7,776	Up 1,116 rank positions in five years	1993
Miesha	—Unranked	—	1991
Laquan	12#7,031	Down 2,813 rank positions in five years	1991
Shaquana	—Unranked	—	1991
Chynna	—Unranked	—	1991
Kiefer	6#11,395	Down 3,576 rank positions in five years	1991
Domonique	11#7,310	Down 928 rank positions in five years	1991
Shanequa	—Unranked	—	1991
Miriah	—Unranked	—	1991
Ieshia	—Unranked	—	1991
Dijon	7#9,949	Down 4,647 rank positions in five years	1991
Keenen	—Unranked	—	1991
Keifer	6#11,360	Down 2,957 rank positions in five years	1991

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1991 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.