Where did the baby name Darina come from in 1948?

The character Anna La Darina from the movie "The Unfinished Dance" (1947).
Anna La Darina from “The Unfinished Dance

In 1948, the baby name Darina first appeared in the U.S. baby name data:

  • 1950: 5 baby girls named Darina
  • 1949: unlisted
  • 1948: 7 baby girls named Darina [debut]
  • 1947: unlisted
  • 1946: unlisted

Where did it come from?

My guess is the movie The Unfinished Dance (1947).

The main character was a young girl in ballet school named Meg. She idolized the head of the school, Ariane Bouchet (played by Cyd Charisse), so when she learned that Ariane would not be dancing the lead in the upcoming production of Swan Lake — that the part would instead go to visiting prima ballerina Anna La Darina — she was not pleased. In fact, she set out to sabotage “La Darina.”

But things went too far: while La Darina was dancing a solo sequence on opening night, Meg went for the light switch…but ended up pulling the trap door lever instead. La Darina fell through the stage, injured her spine, and was told that she would never dance again.

By the end of the movie, Meg discovered that she’d been idolizing the wrong person all along. Ariane was revealed to be self-absorbed, whereas La Darina proved to be generous and forgiving.

What are your thoughts on the name Darina?

Sources: The Unfinished Dance (1947) – IMDB, The Unfinished Dance (1947) – TCM

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