Names That Peaked In 1996

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1996 and have never ranked as high since — the sound of that moment, frozen in the data. (The #1 names that year were Emily and Michael — reigning champions usually peak in a different year than they reign.)

Peaked in 1995 Peaked in 1997 Full 1996 top 100 The 1990s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Emily	5,451#34	Down 16 rank positions in five years	1999
Rachel	1,225#250	Down 24 rank positions in five years	1985
Austin	3,103#113	Down 25 rank positions in five years	1995
Tristan	1,103#309	Down 127 rank positions in five years	2008
Angelica	398#708	Down 136 rank positions in five years	1996
Breanna	69#2,548	Down 1,365 rank positions in five years	1996
Collin	613#493	Down 28 rank positions in five years	1996
Marco	862#370	Up 23 rank positions in five years	2005
Cheyenne	285#920	Down 340 rank positions in five years	1996
Karina	363#750	Down 140 rank positions in five years	1995
Gerardo	401#678	Down 123 rank positions in five years	2000
Chance	711#442	Down 163 rank positions in five years	1996
Marcos	579#517	Down 37 rank positions in five years	2001
Hayley	179#1,251	Down 577 rank positions in five years	1993
Malik	724#437	Down 64 rank positions in five years	1996
Marisol	423#667	Up 311 rank positions in five years	1996
Guillermo	264#902	Down 70 rank positions in five years	1998
Logan	775#402	Down 85 rank positions in five years	2017
Imani	512#579	Down 57 rank positions in five years	1998
Kiana	366#743	Up 156 rank positions in five years	1996
Tristen	116#1,512	Down 663 rank positions in five years	1996
Kristian	184#1,149	Down 324 rank positions in five years	1997
Justice	193#1,113	Down 455 rank positions in five years	2002
Precious	51#3,158	Down 311 rank positions in five years	2001
Alexus	10#9,481	Down 4,597 rank positions in five years	1996
Carley	63#2,725	Down 903 rank positions in five years	1998
Deja	54#3,039	Down 617 rank positions in five years	1996
Shania	70#2,535	Down 384 rank positions in five years	1996
Cheyanne	46#3,349	Down 1,063 rank positions in five years	1999
Kiersten	29#4,703	Down 2,004 rank positions in five years	2005
Triston	56#2,447	Down 355 rank positions in five years	1996
Christiana	58#2,907	Down 1,123 rank positions in five years	1996
Tristin	37#3,231	Down 1,165 rank positions in five years	1996
Sarina	117#1,745	Up 4 rank positions in five years	1996
Dangelo	182#1,154	Down 200 rank positions in five years	1996
Carli	45#3,407	Down 1,758 rank positions in five years	1996
Dania	229#1,063	Up 148 rank positions in five years	2007
Quinten	65#2,205	Down 796 rank positions in five years	2000
Tristian	115#1,518	Down 480 rank positions in five years	2010
Dandre	52#2,541	Down 821 rank positions in five years	2000
Unique	73#2,456	Down 759 rank positions in five years	2009
Halie	6#13,801	Down 4,000 rank positions in five years	2000
Estefania	88#2,129	Down 331 rank positions in five years	1996
Lexus	16#7,005	Down 1,754 rank positions in five years	1996
Tristan	22#5,705	Down 1,972 rank positions in five years	1996
Vanesa	28#4,871	Up 782 rank positions in five years	2002
Kaela	19#6,214	Down 28 rank positions in five years	1996
Katia	93#2,042	Down 268 rank positions in five years	1996
Cinthia	13#7,974	Down 2,933 rank positions in five years	1996
Dontae	41#3,005	Down 836 rank positions in five years	1996
Breann	8#11,108	Down 1,436 rank positions in five years	1996
Deshaun	33#3,462	Down 1,364 rank positions in five years	2006
Yajaira	32#4,456	Up 83 rank positions in five years	2005
Estefany	100#1,934	Down 217 rank positions in five years	2006
Austyn	57#2,394	Down 347 rank positions in five years	1996
Alyssia	30#4,551	Down 284 rank positions in five years	1998
Trystan	14#6,413	Down 3,728 rank positions in five years	2009
Jocelyne	11#9,133	Down 3,747 rank positions in five years	1996
Tristen	5#17,067	Down 7,573 rank positions in five years	1996
Tavon	19#5,176	Down 1,840 rank positions in five years	1996
Jaycie	93#2,040	Up 317 rank positions in five years	1996
Xena	177#1,270	Down 141 rank positions in five years	1996
Odalys	39#3,820	Up 1,978 rank positions in five years	1996
Keion	37#3,214	Down 45 rank positions in five years	1996
Daja	—Unranked	—	1996
Daijah	6#13,594	Down 6,297 rank positions in five years	1996
Raekwon	9#8,756	Down 3,357 rank positions in five years	1996
Raquan	6#11,688	Down 3,758 rank positions in five years	1996
Anfernee	—Unranked	—	1996
Yamilex	17#6,820	Up 3,392 rank positions in five years	1996
Moesha	—Unranked	—	1996

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1996 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.