How popular is the baby name Dijonnaise 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 Dijonnaise.

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Popularity of the baby name Dijonnaise


Posts that mention the name Dijonnaise

Where did the baby name Zhane come from in 1993?

The Zhané album "Pronounced Jah-Nay" (1994)
Zhané album

The name Zhane first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1993. It saw peak usage the very next year:

  • 1995: 203 baby girls named Zhane [rank: 934th]
  • 1994: 391 baby girls named Zhane [rank: 584th]
  • 1993: 69 baby girls named Zhane [debut]
  • 1992: unlisted
  • 1991: unlisted

Here’s a visual:

Graph of the usage of the baby name Zhane in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Zhane

The sudden trendiness of Zhane gave boosts to similar names (like Zana) and produced a crop of sound-alike names, such as…

1992199319941995
Jhane.12*6337
Zhana.8*4826
Zhanae..14*8
Jhanae..10*10
Zhanee..10*.
Jhanee..5*5
Zhanea..5*.
*Debut

It also inspired parents to create Zhane-based names, including Dazhane, Dezhane, Azhane, Daizhane, Tazhane, Auzhane, Dayzhane, Razhane, Ajhane, Dezhanae, Dejhanae, Zhania, and Zhanaya.

So, what was influencing all of these names?

R&B duo Zhané (pronounced zhah-NAY), made up of vocalists Jean Norris and Renée Neufville.

Zhané’s biggest hit, the catchy “Hey, Mr. D.J.,” was released in August of 1993 and reached #6 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart. Their next-biggest hit, “Groove Thang,” came out early the following year.

Both songs were included on the duo’s 1994 debut album, the cleverly titled Pronounced Jah-Nay.

So how did the two singers — who met while attending Temple University in Philadelphia in the early 1990s — come up with the name “Zhane”? Here’s what Norris told Soul Train about a decade ago:

For our name, Renée had the idea of using the French pronunciation of our names Jean and Renée, which sounded like “Jahnay”. We added a Z for a little flavor and we came up with Zhané.

What are your thoughts on the name Zhane?

Sources:

P.S. The duo’s success may have had an influence on the similar-sounding name Dijonnaise as well…

Where did the baby name Velveeta come from in 1957?

Small part of a retro Velveeta advertisement (1960s).
Retro Velveeta box (from an 1960s advert)

We may not be able to stop the Cheesepocalypse, but, while we’re waiting it out, we can talk about how Velveeta isn’t just a product name — it’s also a baby name!

The name Velveeta first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in the 1950s:

  • 1960: unlisted
  • 1959: 6 baby girls named Velveeta
  • 1958: 5 baby girls named Velveeta
  • 1957: 7 baby girls named Velveeta [debut]
  • 1956: unlisted
  • 1955: unlisted

I’ve actually found people named Velveeta born as early as the 1930s and as late as the 1980s, but it’s no surprise to me that the 1950s is when usage rose high enough for the name to pop up in the data. The product was being marketed heavily in the middle of the century, with television commercials and full-page ads in major magazines touting the product’s versatility and healthiness. (Today, Velveeta is actually a symbol of ’50s foods.)

So where does the word “Velveeta” come from?

The product was invented in the late 1910s by Swiss-born cheese-maker Emil Frey. The Kraft-Phenix company (later just Kraft) ended up acquiring the processed cheese spread and naming it “Velveeta” for its velvety consistency.

Velveeta was introduced nationally in the late 1920s, right around the start of the Great Depression. Here’s a Velveeta ad from 1929 telling people about the “delicious new cheese product.”

What do you think of the name Velveeta?

Do you know anyone with the name? How do they like it?

(Other food product baby names I’ve blogged about so far include Calizza, Dijonnaise and Oleomargarine.)

Sources: A Cheesy Meltdown: Kraft Warns Of Velveeta Shortage, And it was all yellow

Where did the baby name Calizza come from in 1986?

Calizza from Pizza Hut (mid-1980s)
Calizza from Pizza Hut

Here’s a baby name that might make you hungry: Calizza. It appeared on the U.S. baby name data in 1986 but never again, making it a true one-hit wonder.

  • 1988: unlisted
  • 1987: unlisted
  • 1986: 8 baby girls named Calizza [debut]
  • 1985: unlisted
  • 1984: unlisted

Calizza, like Dijonnaise, can be traced back to a new food product and (more importantly) the associated marketing campaign.

In this case, the food product was Pizza Hut’s Calizza, a six-inch “Italian turnover” on the lunch menu. It came in two varieties: Italian Sausage and Five Cheese. The name “Calizza” was a portmanteau of the words calzone and pizza.

It was introduced nationally in early 1986 with the help of three “wacky, tacky” commercials featuring an Italian mother and son. Here’s one of them:

If you’re curious to try a Calizza, you’re out of luck — Pizza Hut unceremoniously discontinued the Calizza a few years after introducing it. But you could always give this fan-created 3 Cheese Calizza recipe a shot.

Source: “Pizza Hut Introduces Calizza Via Chiat/Day.” Adweek 10 Mar. 1986.

Where did the baby name Dijonnaise come from in 1993?

Dijonnaise & sandwich

In 1992, mayonnaise maker Hellmann’s introduced to the world a brand new condiment: Dijonnaise (pronounced dee-zhohn-ayz) — a tasty blend of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise.

The company marketed the product with TV commercials featuring a catchy “Dij, Dij, Dij, Dij-onn-aise” ditty set to the tune of the Gene Chandler song “Duke of Earl” (1961).

The very next year, the baby name Dijonnaise debuted in the U.S. baby name data:

  • 1996: unlisted
  • 1995: 5 baby girls named Dijonnaise
  • 1994: unlisted
  • 1993: 23 baby girls named Dijonnaise [debut]
  • 1992: unlisted
  • 1991: unlisted

These babies were probably not named in tribute to a sandwich spread, though. The sound of the word Dijonnaise happened to be relatively trendy at the time. Three of the names that debuted in the baby name data the year before, for instance, were Dijonnae, Daijanae and Dajonae.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Dijonnaise?

Source: About – Hellmann’s