The Glaciers — Names That Took a Generation to Rise and Fell Just as Slowly
84 names climbed to enormous peaks over 25+ years and declined for just as long. These are the glaciers of American naming — the slow-motion mountains behind every flash flood.
Robert
1912Peak 19472025
John
1880Peak 19472025
David
1924Peak 19552025
Mary
1882Peak 19212025
Christopher
1952Peak 19842025
Richard
1914Peak 19462025
Patricia
1924Peak 19512025
Barbara
1920Peak 19472025
Nancy
1921Peak 19472025
Sarah
1912Peak 19822025
Margaret
1888Peak 19212025
Kenneth
1913Peak 19572025
Paul
1912Peak 19572025
Kathleen
1920Peak 19512025
Ruth
1892Peak 19202025
Edward
1880Peak 19242025
Laura
1912Peak 19642025
Christine
1916Peak 19522025
Frank
1880Peak 19182025
Rebecca
1939Peak 19812025
Douglas
1924Peak 19572025
Rachel
1953Peak 19852025
Frances
1892Peak 19182025
Bruce
1928Peak 19562025
Roger
1918Peak 19532025
Marie
1889Peak 19202025
Gloria
1921Peak 19472025
Keith
1930Peak 19572025
Catherine
1888Peak 19562025
Sean
1959Peak 19902025
Jacqueline
1923Peak 19642025
Theresa
1912Peak 19612025
Gerald
1914Peak 19422025
Florence
1882Peak 19182025
Rodney
1938Peak 19652025
Martha
1882Peak 19472025
Irene
1892Peak 19212025
Lawrence
1911Peak 19522025
Bonnie
1917Peak 19472025
Wayne
1915Peak 19472025
Albert
1880Peak 19212025
Harry
1880Peak 19182025
Louise
1884Peak 19212025
Ann
1905Peak 19572025
Gladys
1893Peak 19202025
Edna
1884Peak 19182025
Kathryn
1906Peak 19522025
Dale
1915Peak 19582025
Katie
1914Peak 19862025
Carl
1894Peak 19562025
Tony
1915Peak 19612025
Ethel
1882Peak 19182025
Joe
1892Peak 19362025
Willie
1892Peak 19472025
Edith
1882Peak 19182025
Alicia
1951Peak 19842025
Roy
1886Peak 19472025
Johnny
1920Peak 19472025
Glenn
1912Peak 19622025
Clarence
1882Peak 19212025
Dana
1946Peak 19712025
Suzanne
1930Peak 19622025
Earl
1889Peak 19212025
Rita
1913Peak 19492025
Barry
1935Peak 19622025
Monica
1948Peak 19792025
Fred
1880Peak 19242025
Stanley
1910Peak 19542025
Gertrude
1880Peak 19172025
Philip
1912Peak 19532025
Alfred
1898Peak 19282025
Marion
1895Peak 19242025
Phillip
1915Peak 19602025
Beatrice
1894Peak 19212025
Ellen
1884Peak 19512025
Anita
1914Peak 19572025
Anne
1900Peak 19592025
Ernest
1880Peak 19212025
Curtis
1912Peak 19622025
Agnes
1882Peak 19182025
Sally
1910Peak 19472025
Allen
1912Peak 19512025
Bertha
1880Peak 19182025
Marc
1945Peak 19702025
| Name | Sex | Peak year | Peak births |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert | M | 1947 | 91,655 |
| John | M | 1947 | 88,324 |
| David | M | 1955 | 86,306 |
| Mary | F | 1921 | 73,984 |
| Christopher | M | 1984 | 60,021 |
| Richard | M | 1946 | 58,870 |
| Patricia | F | 1951 | 56,446 |
| Barbara | F | 1947 | 48,800 |
| Nancy | F | 1947 | 32,445 |
| Sarah | F | 1982 | 28,483 |
| Margaret | F | 1921 | 28,468 |
| Kenneth | M | 1957 | 28,064 |
| Paul | M | 1957 | 27,012 |
| Kathleen | F | 1951 | 26,716 |
| Ruth | F | 1920 | 26,102 |
| Edward | M | 1924 | 21,126 |
| Laura | F | 1964 | 18,967 |
| Christine | F | 1952 | 17,548 |
| Frank | M | 1918 | 17,018 |
| Rebecca | F | 1981 | 16,737 |
| Douglas | M | 1957 | 16,730 |
| Rachel | F | 1985 | 16,360 |
| Frances | F | 1918 | 16,132 |
| Bruce | M | 1956 | 14,660 |
| Roger | M | 1953 | 13,172 |
| Marie | F | 1920 | 12,743 |
| Gloria | F | 1947 | 12,627 |
| Keith | M | 1957 | 12,437 |
| Catherine | F | 1956 | 12,056 |
| Sean | M | 1990 | 12,018 |
| Jacqueline | F | 1964 | 11,975 |
| Theresa | F | 1961 | 11,960 |
| Gerald | M | 1942 | 11,484 |
| Florence | F | 1918 | 11,318 |
| Rodney | M | 1965 | 11,086 |
| Martha | F | 1947 | 10,651 |
| Irene | F | 1921 | 10,624 |
| Lawrence | M | 1952 | 10,302 |
| Bonnie | F | 1947 | 10,214 |
| Wayne | M | 1947 | 10,169 |
| Albert | M | 1921 | 10,158 |
| Harry | M | 1918 | 9,896 |
| Louise | F | 1921 | 9,180 |
| Ann | F | 1957 | 9,040 |
| Gladys | F | 1920 | 8,819 |
| Edna | F | 1918 | 8,698 |
| Kathryn | F | 1952 | 8,504 |
| Dale | M | 1958 | 8,502 |
| Katie | F | 1986 | 8,333 |
| Carl | M | 1956 | 8,313 |
| Tony | M | 1961 | 8,306 |
| Ethel | F | 1918 | 8,075 |
| Joe | M | 1936 | 8,023 |
| Willie | M | 1947 | 7,997 |
| Edith | F | 1918 | 7,858 |
| Alicia | F | 1984 | 7,820 |
| Roy | M | 1947 | 7,560 |
| Johnny | M | 1947 | 7,441 |
| Glenn | M | 1962 | 7,356 |
| Clarence | M | 1921 | 7,332 |
| Dana | F | 1971 | 6,934 |
| Suzanne | F | 1962 | 6,851 |
| Earl | M | 1921 | 6,754 |
| Rita | F | 1949 | 6,653 |
| Barry | M | 1962 | 6,585 |
| Monica | F | 1979 | 6,585 |
| Fred | M | 1924 | 6,532 |
| Stanley | M | 1954 | 6,448 |
| Gertrude | F | 1917 | 6,300 |
| Philip | M | 1953 | 6,279 |
| Alfred | M | 1928 | 6,252 |
| Marion | F | 1924 | 6,047 |
| Phillip | M | 1960 | 6,047 |
| Beatrice | F | 1921 | 5,968 |
| Ellen | F | 1951 | 5,945 |
| Anita | F | 1957 | 5,811 |
| Anne | F | 1959 | 5,745 |
| Ernest | M | 1921 | 5,697 |
| Curtis | M | 1962 | 5,569 |
| Agnes | F | 1918 | 5,291 |
| Sally | F | 1947 | 5,265 |
| Allen | M | 1951 | 5,179 |
| Bertha | F | 1918 | 5,051 |
| Marc | M | 1970 | 5,009 |
Source: SSA birth records (1880–2025), ssa-national-2025. Names shown peaked at 5,000+ annual births, rose for at least 25 years and declined for at least 25 more (years above 10% of peak), with the full decline inside the record.