How popular is the baby name Chaneta in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Chaneta.
The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.
Here’s a mystery baby name for you: Nydra. It was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data in 1981, registering with 14 baby girls. Fourteen wasn’t quite high enough to boost Nydra onto the list of most popular one-hit wonder girl names, but it’s an impressive showing nonetheless.
1983: unlisted
1982: unlisted
1981: 14 baby girls named Nydra [debut]
1980: unlisted
1979: unlisted
My only guess so far has to do with an infant named Nydra Chi Vonne Pettaway, who was kidnapped from a hospital in Houston, Texas, a few days after she was born in April of 1981. She was recovered several days later (and her 18-year-old kidnapper was sentenced to 10 years probation). But I’ve only seen baby Nydra mentioned in one Texas newspaper so far, so I’m not sure if the news item was widespread/impactful enough to account for the name’s debut.
Do you have any clues/guesses?
P.S. Speaking of kidnapped babies, here’s the post on Chaneta.
Source: “Baby Thief Sentenced.” Port Arthur News 11 Oct. 1981: 14.
In March of 1950, Clifford and Annie Holden welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Chaneta, at Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx.
Chaneta was born premature — she weighed just 2 pounds, 9 ounces — so she would have to be kept in a hospital incubator in order to survive.
But that didn’t quite happen. Why not? Because the poor thing was kidnapped.
She was abducted from the hospital on March 30th, when she was just nine days old. Doctors at the time warned that, outside of the incubator, she would have little chance of survival.
Hundreds of New York City police officers searched for Chaneta, but the search was called off after several days. At that point she was presumed dead.
But weeks later, on April 24th, Chaneta was discovered — still alive, miraculously.
She was found in a small storeroom at the Coburg Hotel, inside a homemade incubator constructed by her kidnapper, 18-year-old hotel maid Evelyn Jordan. (Evelyn had lost her own premature twins a few months earlier, sadly.) Here’s how the scene was described:
Besides a piggy bank, a toy cat and a rosary on the carriage she stocked the room with correctly prepared baby formulas, rubber gloves, child care books, diapers, blankets, thermometers, an electric heater to help provide the prescribed incubator temperature of 96° and a pan of bubbling hot water to keep up the required humidity.
Chaneta had gained 6 ounces and was in “perfect health.”
Annie, who sympathized with Evelyn, had this to say: “I feel sorry for her. She took such good care of the baby.”
The discovery made national headlines on April 25th, and the story stayed in the news for months to come.
Baby Chaneta was immediately returned to Lincoln Hospital. In mid-May she was declared healthy enough to go home with her parents.
Evelyn Jordan was sent to a mental institution. She was released six years later.
And in 1950, nearly two dozen baby girls suddenly got the rather unusual name Chaneta, according to the U.S. baby name data:
1952: unlisted
1951: unlisted
1950: 23 baby girls named Chaneta [debut]
1949: unlisted
1948: unlisted
In a follow-up story from 1956, Annie Holden mentioned that Chaneta had been named after her favorite childhood schoolteacher.
Do you like the name Chaneta?
Sources:
“Baby Chaneta Coming Home.” New York Age 13 May 1950: 3.
“Crude Incubator Keeps Baby Alive.” Life 8 May 1950: 50.
“Ex-Mental Patient Beats 1950 Kidnap Rap.” New York Age 8 Dec. 1956: 4.
“Kidnapped Incubator Infant Found Safe.” Los Angeles Times 26 Apr. 1950: 20.
“Kidnapped Negro Incubator Baby Is Found Alive.” Ogdensburg Journal 25 Apr. 1950: 1.
This website or its third-party tools process personal data.In case of sale of your personal information, you may opt out by using the link Do not sell my personal information.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
Cookie
Duration
Description
cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional
11 months
The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
cookielawinfo-checkbox-others
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance
11 months
This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
viewed_cookie_policy
11 months
The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.