What turned Cherish into a baby name in 1966?

The Association's album "And Then... Along Comes the Association" (1966)
The Association album

Last week we talked about the baby name Windy, which saw a boost in usage in the ’60s thanks to the song “Windy” by The Association.

But I shouldn’t forget to mention that an earlier song by the same band also influenced American baby names.

“Cherish,” their very first hit song, ranked #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for three weeks straight in the fall of 1966. The same year, the baby name Cherish debuted in the SSA’s data:

  • 1968: 28 baby girls named Cherish
  • 1967: 24 baby girls named Cherish
  • 1966: 11 baby girls named Cherish [debut]
  • 1965: unlisted
  • 1964: unlisted

Usage of the name peaked in 2007, when 461 baby girls were named Cherish (rank: 641st).

Do you like the name Cherish? Do you like it more or less than Windy?

(And, do you like “The Association” as a band name? Do you like it more or less than the equally ambiguous “The Charts“?)

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