Names That Peaked In 1998

These names hit their all-time highest U.S. ranking in 1998 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 1997 Peaked in 1999 Full 1998 top 100 The 1990s as a whole

Name & meaning	Babies 2025 · rank	5-year rank movement	Peak year
Samantha	1,973#151	Down 61 rank positions in five years	1990
Victoria	4,027#54	Down 20 rank positions in five years	1993
Hannah	3,973#56	Down 17 rank positions in five years	2000
Alyssa	680#453	Down 254 rank positions in five years	1999
Nathaniel	2,565#140	Down 15 rank positions in five years	2002
Madeline	3,086#81	Up 15 rank positions in five years	1998
Jared	804#396	Down 28 rank positions in five years	1998
Spencer	908#360	Down 43 rank positions in five years	1998
Mariah	693#448	Down 146 rank positions in five years	1996
Bailey	1,446#209	Down 37 rank positions in five years	1998
Javier	1,252#274	Down 24 rank positions in five years	2001
Nicolas	2,053#177	Up 25 rank positions in five years	2003
Mikayla	364#748	Down 204 rank positions in five years	1998
Allyson	203#1,139	Down 497 rank positions in five years	1998
Caitlyn	71#2,492	Down 859 rank positions in five years	1998
Esmeralda	823#373	Up 21 rank positions in five years	1998
Madeleine	679#455	Down 57 rank positions in five years	1998
Hanna	580#512	Up 16 rank positions in five years	2000
Katelynn	63#2,736	Down 1,264 rank positions in five years	1998
Nikolas	375#719	Down 115 rank positions in five years	2004
Jarrett	57#2,406	Down 887 rank positions in five years	1998
Nathanael	442#632	Up 89 rank positions in five years	2000
Nathalie	145#1,481	Down 569 rank positions in five years	2009
Brendon	48#2,683	Down 611 rank positions in five years	1998
Bryanna	79#2,302	Down 878 rank positions in five years	1998
Kaitlynn	41#3,675	Down 1,741 rank positions in five years	1999
Graciela	109#1,835	Up 27 rank positions in five years	1998
Carlie	65#2,657	Down 1,171 rank positions in five years	2004
Tyree	88#1,822	Down 450 rank positions in five years	1998
Tyra	32#4,449	Down 199 rank positions in five years	1998
Hunter	323#842	Down 10 rank positions in five years	1998
Micah	291#909	Up 143 rank positions in five years	1999
Trace	340#758	Up 5 rank positions in five years	2008
Mckayla	50#3,197	Down 1,361 rank positions in five years	1998
Jarod	8#9,247	Down 5,490 rank positions in five years	1998
Cordell	77#1,977	Down 259 rank positions in five years	1998
Essence	199#1,165	Up 63 rank positions in five years	1998
Nathanial	33#3,487	Up 136 rank positions in five years	1999
Ally	88#2,118	Down 745 rank positions in five years	1998
Savanah	21#5,879	Down 3,285 rank positions in five years	1998
Daria	107#1,858	Up 38 rank positions in five years	1998
Brennen	20#4,881	Down 2,532 rank positions in five years	2009
Montana	242#1,033	Up 705 rank positions in five years	1998
Kaycee	171#1,303	Up 76 rank positions in five years	1998
Kinsey	53#3,086	Down 1,258 rank positions in five years	2011
Elyssa	26#5,013	Down 2,790 rank positions in five years	2004
Tariq	107#1,599	Down 266 rank positions in five years	1998
Allyssa	5#15,056	Down 8,113 rank positions in five years	1998
Taya	76#2,385	Down 877 rank positions in five years	1998
Ireland	83#2,224	Down 973 rank positions in five years	2009
Shae	92#2,061	Down 12 rank positions in five years	1998
Ronaldo	77#1,988	Down 176 rank positions in five years	1998
Taj	100#1,667	Down 519 rank positions in five years	2015
Marquez	42#2,964	Down 857 rank positions in five years	1998
Reanna	10#9,956	Down 3,384 rank positions in five years	1998
Alize	55#2,999	Down 30 rank positions in five years	2002
Kalie	21#5,817	Down 1,509 rank positions in five years	1998
Caitlynn	11#8,969	Down 4,505 rank positions in five years	1998
Jelani	67#2,156	Down 418 rank positions in five years	1998
Kalen	71#2,086	Up 69 rank positions in five years	1998
Justyn	25#4,192	Up 1,934 rank positions in five years	1998
Deondre	25#4,162	Down 1,173 rank positions in five years	1998
Miguelangel	54#2,505	Down 192 rank positions in five years	2007
Katlynn	—Unranked	—	1999
Tahj	112#1,544	Down 461 rank positions in five years	1998
Jarett	8#9,246	Down 2,806 rank positions in five years	1998
Makala	—Unranked	—	1998
Lexis	6#14,190	Down 2,505 rank positions in five years	1998
Jaret	17#5,486	Up 1,300 rank positions in five years	1998
Jensen	81#2,266	Up 404 rank positions in five years	1998
Odalis	11#9,303	Down 496 rank positions in five years	1998
Tea	10#10,039	Down 3,433 rank positions in five years	1998
Tyreek	24#4,376	Down 893 rank positions in five years	1998
Tyrek	14#6,417	Down 986 rank positions in five years	1998
Tavian	27#4,032	Down 131 rank positions in five years	1998
Tyrique	21#4,847	Down 587 rank positions in five years	1998
Tyriq	31#3,649	Up 257 rank positions in five years	1998
Kordell	30#3,712	Up 375 rank positions in five years	1998
Jacquez	11#7,370	Down 1,271 rank positions in five years	1998
Tyrik	11#7,636	Up 2,880 rank positions in five years	1998
Christion	—Unranked	—	1998

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How this list is built

A name “peaked” in 1998 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.