How popular is the baby name Cookie 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 Cookie.

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Popularity of the baby name Cookie


Posts that mention the name Cookie

Where did the baby name Kookie come from in 1959?

The character Kookie from the TV show "77 Sunset Strip" (1958-1964).
Kookie from “77 Sunset Strip

Before there was Fonzie, there was Kookie.

In 1959, the baby name Kookie was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data:

  • 1961: unlisted
  • 1960: unlisted
  • 1959: 5 baby girls name Kookie [debut]
  • 1958: unlisted
  • 1957: unlisted

I thought it was just a variant of Cookie until I did some research. Turns out that Kookie was a hipster character played by Edd Byrnes on the detective show 77 Sunset Strip (1958-1964). He worked as a valet parking attendant at the club next door to the detectives’ office. The character quickly became a cultural phenomenon:

Constantly combing his glossy, duck-tailed hair and speaking in what was called ‘jive talk’, Gerald Lloyd Kookson III – ‘Kookie’ to his friends — helped Stu and Jeff out on their cases and stole the show. Teenage girls went wild for Kookie and his fan mail reached 10,000 letters a week. A glossary was issued for those who wanted to learn his language which included such young dude phrases as, ‘let’s exitville’ (let’s go), ‘out of print’ (from another town), ‘piling up the Z’s’ (sleeping), ‘a dark seven’ (a depressing week) and ‘headache grapplers’ (aspirin) – all soon copied by youth worldwide.

This popularity led to Kookie-branded merchandise, including “Kookie’s Comb.”

Kookie's Comb
Kookie’s Comb

Byrnes also appeared in-character as Kookie on other TV shows and in advertisements (such as a series of Harley-Davidson ads for the Topper motor scooter).

Most impressively, Edd Byrnes became a top-10 recording artist with the release of the 1959 novelty song “Kookie, Kookie, Lend Me Your Comb” (vid), a duet with Connie Stevens that reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In 2005, TV Guide ranked the top 25 teen idols of all time. Edd “Kookie” Byrnes came in 5th. (John Travolta came in 3rd. Michael J. Fox came in 23rd.)

Source: Lewis, Jon E. and Penny Stempel. Cult TV: The Essential Critical Guide. London: Pavilion Books, 1996.

Miss USA names: Cookie, Curvey, Kiki, Storm

Time for more pageantry! Pageantry names, that is.

Thousands of young women, including Jenny Craig (Miss Georgia 1996) and Robin Williams (Miss New Jersey 2001), have competed for the title of Miss USA since the contest was established in 1952.

Going through the Miss USA Delegates Gallery, I noted the following names:

1950sCarelgean, Devona, Mariles, Trula, Waydine
1960sByrean, Corneille, Delcene, Elrita, Garnett, Genelda, Hitsy, Kinne, Macel, Marite, Royette
1970sAundie, Cely, Charlesy, Curvey, Jurrette, Kiki, Lenita, Sinceree, Storm, Tamina
1980sChiann, Clotilde, Cookie, Edwina, Janu, Raun, Sarie, Somaly, Tanquil*, Zade, Zanetta (van Zyverden), Zina
1990sAltman, Arnica, Chandelle, Edlyn, Idalmis, Jillayne, Josan, Keelin, Kimmarie, Ku’ualoha**, Leimomi, Leissann, Maricarroll, Michon, Mistrella, Napiera, Ninya, Pratima, Reno, Temple, Toay, Tolan, Trenna, Zanice, Ziba
2000sAgnieszka, CaCe, Chanel, Charlie, Denette, Despina, Endia, Geneice, Guerin, Krisily, Nafeesa, Onawa, Radasha, Sade, Sharitha, Shivonn, Sitania, Skylene, Soben, Sujoing, Tashina, Tyler, Yanaiza

*Tanquil (Miss Virginia 1983) appeared in a 1991 issue of Playboy under the name Tai.

**Ku’ualoha (Miss Hawaii 1996) is now a weather reporter who goes by the name Aloha.