Now on iOS & AndroidSwipe baby names with your partner — match on names you both love.

Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
Nameberry Logo

Names that Peaked in 1966

  1. Vincent
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "conquering"
    • Description:

      Vincent is a name with a complex image. After being quietly used for centuries, it is suddenly seeming stylish, along wih other V names. Even the nickname Vince has been given a reprieve via actor Vince Vaughn and country singer Vince Gill. Vin Diesel was born with the more prosaic name Mark Vincent.
  2. Colette
    • Origin:

      French, short form of Nicole, feminine variation of Nicholas, Greek
    • Meaning:

      "people of victory"
    • Description:

      Like the French author with whom the name is most closely associated, Colette is a chic and charming name, sharp, stylish, and feminine but without the frills of Nicolette. After disappearing from the charts for 30 years, Colette rejoined the US Top 1000 back in 2012 and is still on the rise.
  3. Michael
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "who is like God?"
    • Description:

      Michael was the Number 1 American boys' name for almost half a century. While Michael has moved out of the Top 10 baby boy names, it's still widely used.
  4. Jeffrey
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Geoffrey
    • Meaning:

      "pledge of peace"
    • Description:

      The mostly Americanized version of Geoffrey was a trendy mid-century hit, with nickname Jeff the epitome of cool. Jeffrey entered the pop list in 1934 and was a Top 20 name from the mid-fifties to 1978.
  5. Wade
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "at the river crossing"
    • Description:

      Wade has never been outside the US Top 1000 for boys - there's a reason for that. It has a clean spelling, fresh sound and is neither too trendy (unlike Kade or Cade) or too old-school (like Richard or Albert). We think Wade is a winning name.
  6. Keith
    • Origin:

      Scottish
    • Meaning:

      "wood"
    • Description:

      Strong but gentle, Keith is one of the Scottish surnames that, along with Douglas, Craig and Bruce, were considered the epitome of cool in the 1960s and early 1970s, when it was a Top 40 choice.
  7. Sunday
    • Origin:

      Day name, English from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "day of the Sun"
    • Description:

      Sunday is among the most usable of the day names with its sunny first syllable, its sweet sound, and its potential to be both a sassy or a spiritual choice. The name initially made headlines in 2008 when Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban chose it for their daughter, Sunday Rose. Although it had been widely written that Kidman and Urban named their baby after art patron Sunday Reed, Kidman says this was a myth, they just liked the name.
  8. Kimberly
    • Origin:

      English surname and place name
    • Meaning:

      "Cyneburga's meadow"
    • Description:

      Kimberly's heyday was in the 1960s and 70s, when it ranked among the Top 10. While it hasn't been stylish for decades, it's evidenced more staying power than some former hot girl names, remaining among the Top 300 girl names in the US, where it's stood for 70 years.
  9. Timothy
    • Origin:

      Greek
    • Meaning:

      "honoring God"
    • Description:

      A second-tier classic, the New Testament Timothy moves in and out of fashion more than John and James. But though it peaked in the 1960s, many modern parents still appreciate its familiarity and lively rhythm. And the short form Tim feels eternally boyish.
  10. Lisa
    • Origin:

      English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      Elvis naming his daughter Lisa Marie and Nat King Cole's hit song "Mona Lisa" conspired to catapult one of Elizabeth's many offshoots to a high of #4 in 1970.
  11. Andreas
    • Origin:

      Original New Testament Greek variation of Andrew
    • Meaning:

      "strong and manly"
    • Description:

      Andreas is a beautiful name, with the patina of an Old Master painting, one that could make a dashing namesake for an Uncle Andrew.
  12. Chris
    • Origin:

      English nickname for Christian, Christopher
    • Meaning:

      "one who carries Christ"
    • Description:

      Chris is a long-running nickname used almost equally for boys and girls. While past its prime, Chris stands out as sounding completely appropriate for both sexes, perhaps because of its widespread use as a short form of both the popular Christopher and Christine. Chris manages to retain its crisp appeal even though its fashion moment is over.
  13. Leanne
    • Origin:

      English combination of Lee and Anne
    • Meaning:

      "meadow grace"
    • Description:

      One of the quintessential midcentury combination names, Leanne was spelled any number of ways: Lianne, LeeAnn, Leigh-Anne, and so on. Like many similar combo names -- Joanne, Maryann -- they're all dated now.
  14. Tammy
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of Tamara
    • Description:

      Made famous in fifties movies as a wholesome backwoods gal, Tammy was a Top 10 choice from the mid-60s to early-70s, but is now given to fewer than 100 babies per year in the US.
  15. Lynette
    • Origin:

      French elaboration of Lynn or Welsh
    • Meaning:

      "idol"
    • Description:

      Linda begat Lynn which gave way to Lynette, which peaked in the late 1960s. Lynette has been off the Top 1000 for a couple decades now, and the Lynn variations finding the most favor are those that put the "lyn" part at the end: Evelyn, Madelyn, Brooklyn.
  16. Beth
    • Origin:

      English diminutive of Elizabeth, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "pledged to God"
    • Description:

      The sweetest and most sensitive of the pet names for Elizabeth, now also one of the most dated.
  17. Joelle
    • Origin:

      Feminine variation of Joel, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah is his God"
    • Description:

      Joel is one of those boys’ names that's never been super-popular yet has never been UNpopular either -- it's been in the Top 400 in the US since we started keeping statistics in 1880. So it's inevitable that its female form Joelle would gain visibility too, and indeed Joelle was used most widely during Joel's reign in the Top 100, from the late 1960s through the early 1990s.
  18. Caprice
    • Origin:

      French from Italian
    • Meaning:

      "impulsive change of mind; lively music"
    • Description:

      Caprice is a word name with an appealing sound and a light-hearted meaning that may well put parents off. While it was given to just 10 girls in a recent year, the name did have a moment back in the late 60s and then again in the 90s. In England and Wales, it even made the Top 400 in 1997.
  19. Lorne
    • Origin:

      Variation of Lawrence
    • Description:

      Alive thanks to Ponderosa papa Greene and SNL creator Michaels, both from Canada, where the name is much more popular.
  20. Thor
    • Origin:

      Norse and Scandinavian
    • Meaning:

      "thunder"
    • Description:

      Thor, the powerful name of the Norse god of thunder, strength and rain, would make a bold statement. Long a comic book staple, Thor has now invaded the big screen, and could land on birth certificates as well.

The Nameberry App Is Live

Nameberry app screenshot
Find your perfect baby name together in our app, now available on the App Store and Google Play.
  • Swipe through thousands of names with your partner
  • Names you match on are saved to your shared list
  • Get personalized recommendations that learn based on your and your partner's preferences
  • Partner with friends and family to find names you all love
  • Backed by Nameberry's 20 years of data around name preferences.
Download on the App StoreGet it on Google Play
Nameberry app screenshot