Where did the baby name Miralee come from in 1947?

The character Miralee Smith from the movie "New Orleans" (1947).
Miralee Smith from “New Orleans

The name Miralee popped up in the U.S. baby name data just once, in 1947:

  • 1949: unlisted
  • 1948: unlisted
  • 1947: 7 baby girls named Miralee [debut]
  • 1946: unlisted
  • 1945: unlisted

The same year, a jazz-themed movie called New Orleans was released.

In terms of music history, New Orleans is notable because it featured both Billie Holiday and Louis Armstrong as secondary characters named Endie and Satchmo. (In the earliest versions of the script, these were the main characters.)

In terms of baby names, though, New Orleans is notable because one of the protagonists — society woman Miralee (pronounced MEER-ah-lee) Smith, played by actress Dorothy Patrick — is behind the brief emergence of “Miralee” in the SSA data.

What are your thoughts on the name Miralee?

Sources: New Orleans (1947) – TCM.com, SSA

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