Jennifer was the top name for girls every year from 1970 to 1984. In 1972, its peak, 63,600 girls got the name. In 2025, 501 did, and it ranked #586. Most names follow some version of that curve, but not all. Social Security records since 1880 show a handful of shapes that a name’s popularity can take, and this guide walks through each with real numbers.
The Usual Shape: A Rise, a Peak and a Long Fall
Babies given the name, with its rank among girls’ names, in each year:
| Year | Linda | Jennifer |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 80,433 (#1) | 2,802 (#118) |
| 1960 | 37,316 (#3) | 7,243 (#61) |
| 1970 | 8,731 (#38) | 46,150 (#1) |
| 1980 | 2,806 (#110) | 58,374 (#1) |
| 1990 | 1,661 (#175) | 22,236 (#8) |
| 2000 | 851 (#357) | 9,390 (#26) |
| 2010 | 480 (#615) | 2,622 (#121) |
| 2025 | 294 (#902) | 501 (#586) |
Linda peaked in 1947 and Jennifer in 1972. Both reached #1 and then fell for decades. A name’s peak also sets the age of the people who have it, which is why each name page shows an average age.
Fast Up, Fast Down
- Brantley went from 311 boys in 2010 to 3,353 in 2014, then back to 606 in 2025.
- Nevaeh, “heaven” spelled backward, was given to 99 girls in 2000 and 6,818 in 2007, its peak; in 2025 it was down to 1,828.
- Jaxon rose from 493 boys in 2000 to 8,145 in 2016 and has fallen to 3,073 since.
Because these names were popular for only a few years, most of the people who have them are close in age.
Names That Never Left
A few names stayed popular through all 146 years. Elizabeth is the only girls’ name that ranked in the top 100 every year from 1880 to 2025. For boys, 12 names did, and John, William, James, Joseph and David never fell out of the top 50. William shows how steady that can be:
| Year | William |
|---|---|
| 1900 | 8,579 (#2) |
| 1950 | 60,680 (#6) |
| 1960 | 49,361 (#7) |
| 1970 | 38,887 (#7) |
| 1980 | 25,639 (#14) |
| 1990 | 24,906 (#16) |
| 2000 | 20,669 (#11) |
| 2010 | 17,072 (#5) |
| 2025 | 10,545 (#9) |
Comebacks
Hazel peaked in 1918, with 7,615 girls. By 1983 it was down to 90, ranked #1,333. In 2025, 6,318 girls got the name, and it ranked #21. Theodore has gone further: 2025 was its biggest year ever, with 13,355 boys and a rank of #4. More names like these are in old-fashioned names making a comeback.
How Long the #1 Name Lasts
These names have been the top name for boys:
| Name | Years at #1 |
|---|---|
| John | 1880 to 1923 |
| Robert | 1924 to 1939 |
| James | 1940 to 1952 |
| Robert | 1953 |
| Michael | 1954 to 1959 |
| David | 1960 |
| Michael | 1961 to 1998 |
| Jacob | 1999 to 2012 |
| Noah | 2013 to 2016 |
| Liam | 2017 to 2025 |
John held the top spot for 44 years and Michael for 38 years in a row, but since 1999 three names have taken turns. The female names guide shows the same for girls.
The Fastest Climbers of the Last 10 Years
These names made the biggest jumps in rank from 2015 to 2025 among names now in the top 100:
| Girls: rank in 2015 and 2025 | Boys: rank in 2015 and 2025 |
|---|---|
| Ailany: #3,842 to #14 | Eithan: #1,603 to #97 |
| Lainey: #576 to #30 | Luka: #524 to #85 |
| Millie: #469 to #73 | Atlas: #487 to #75 |
| Maeve: #452 to #76 | Theo: #406 to #82 |
| Amara: #459 to #98 | Thiago: #334 to #50 |
See How Any Name Has Changed
- Type the name in the search box on the home page.
- The chart on its page shows babies given the name in every year since 1880, with its peak year.
- The page also says whether the name is rising or falling, and about how many people with it are alive.
For the top names of each generation, see the most popular names by decade.