Names that Peaked in 1969

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.

Laura is a hauntingly evocative perennial, never trendy, never dated, feminine without being fussy, with long-standing literary links. All this makes Laura a more solid choice than any of its more decorative counterparts and one of the most classic girl names starting with L.

Michelle is the feminine form of Michel, the French variation of Michael. Michael was derived from the Hebrew name Mihka’el, meaning "who is like God." The alternate spelling Michele, with one "L," was the original version of the name. Michelle appeared as a later Anglicization in the 20th century.

Retro short form of Marina, now dated to the era of the Hitchcock movie that made it famous. In the UK, it's one of the hottest vintage names of the moment, perhaps inspired by British singer Lily Allen, who gave it to her second daughter in 2013. It's also a character name on the hit TV show Girls.

This is an alternative to Laura or Lauren made romantic by Dr Zhivago, and badass by video-game heroine Lara Croft.

A variation of Greek Dionysius, itself derived from the name of the god of wine, revelry, and dance, Dion gives a nod to mythology while also having historical ties to a student of Plato, to a Greek mathematician and to 1st century writer and historian.

As a contemporary name, it came into popular use in the late 1950s and remained in the Top 1000 until 2006. It has dipped in and out of the charts since then, and is still given to a not insignificant 200 boys each year.

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.

Corwin is an upstanding surname name that has been seen occasionally as a first in literature, but rarely in real life. But maybe with the recent acceptance of Darwin, that might change.

A 1970s beach boy surfing buddy of Scott, Brad, and Chad, Todd is given to relatively few babies these days.

Though it's used for boys, most non-French people would hear it as a girls’ name. Most would be surprised to learn that Rene has always charted in the US Top 1000 for boys.

Craig is a single-syllable baby-boomer name, still common in its native Scotland, but most modern Americans would prefer something like Kyle.

Short and sharp with a nature related meaning, Vance was trending upwards in recent years thanks to the musicians Foy Vance and Vance Joy. 2024 saw it take a downwards dip however, likely due to its association with the vice president, JD Vance, a controversial association which it might not recover from for a while. Time, however, will tell.

Long-standing French name that retains a feminine, fragile, and shell-like image.

Christine was the dominant feminine variation of Christopher forty or fifty years ago, when French E-endings were preferred over As; it was a Top 20 name for several years, from 1966 to 1974. But though it still hangs in on the popularity list, today most any other version would be considered more stylish, from Kristen to Kirsten to Christina herself.

This spelling adds a little more femininity to the neutral Lee. Leigh and sister Lee were quite popular in the 1960s and 1970s among the first cool wave of unisex names for girls, but now have vanished from the Top 1000. The Biblical Leah is preferred.

Though still being used, Deanna peaked many decades ago.

Alisa is variation of Alice with a touch of international flair. Used in Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Estonia and Poland, it is also familiar in English speaking countries too. As a Hebrew name, Alisa has a bright, cheerful meaning, that adds another layer to the name.

Kellie is a feminine name of Irish origin, derived from the Gaelic surname 'Kelly' which means 'warrior' or 'bright-headed.' It emerged as a standalone first name in the mid-20th century, gaining popularity in the 1960s and 1970s in English-speaking countries. This cheerful variation of Kelly offers a slightly more feminine spelling with the '-ie' ending. Kellie reached its peak popularity in the United States during the 1980s but has gradually declined since then. It carries connotations of strength and brightness while maintaining a friendly, approachable quality. The name remains recognizable but is now less common for newborns, giving it a distinctive quality for those who bear it.

It would be easy to dismiss this girlish name as invented fluff, but it has roots in several cultures with evocative meanings and references. Shani refers to the "scarlet thread" or theme of a story. Shani is also the name of a Hindu god and the Sanskrit word for the planet Saturn. And it's a Swahili name also found in other African cultures that means marvelous.

Regal and ancient feeling, Jacques has been declining in popularity in its native France, but in the UK, it saw a surprising revival in 2022. Jumping from somewhere around the #2500 mark straight to #600, it was seven times more popular than in 2021.