Jem and Jerrica – Truly Outrageous Baby Names

Another cartoon-inspired baby name! Actually there are two this time, as today’s character had two different identities.

Jem, which began airing in late 1985, was a cartoon about an all-girl rock band called Jem and the Holograms. Jem’s big secret? She didn’t really exist–she was just the alter ego of a character named Jerrica Benton, who used a powerful holographic computer (“Show time, Synergy!”) and a pair of hi-tech earrings to have the Jem hologram projected over her.

Jem

Before the cartoon, there had been girls named Gem and boys named Jem (short for Jeremy/Jeremiah/James). But only in 1986 do baby girls named Jem start popping up on the SSA’s baby name list:

• 1986 – 5 baby girls named Jem
• 1987 – 11 baby girls named Jem
• 1988 – 9 baby girls named Jem
• 1989 – 6 baby girls named Jem
• 1990 – 8 baby girls named Jem
• 1991 – 5 baby girls named Jem

In total, at least 56 baby girls have been named Jem since 1986.

Jerrica

The name Jerrica was in use well before the cartoon debuted, but without Jem it might never have cracked the top 1,000:

• 1984 – 45 baby girls named Jerrica
• 1985 – 64 baby girls named Jerrica
• 1986 – 199 baby girls named Jerrica [ranked 836th]
• 1987 – 318 baby girls named Jerrica [ranked 607th]
• 1988 – 437 baby girls named Jerrica [ranked 506th]
• 1989 – 402 baby girls named Jerrica [ranked 558th]
• 1990 – 370 baby girls named Jerrica [ranked 609th]
• 1991 – 272 baby girls named Jerrica [ranked 758th]

It managed to stay in the top 1,000 all the way through 1995. Jerrica’s still on the SSA’s list today, though the numbers aren’t too impressive anymore (i.e. only 27 babies were named Jerricas in 2009).

And finally, because I know you’re just dying to see it, here’s the Jem opening theme song [vid].

Photo: Rock Jem
Other cartoon-inspired baby names: Aeon, Cheetara, Pebbles