The name Tarralyn popped up in the U.S. baby name data for the first and only time in the early 2000s:
- 2006: unlisted
- 2005: unlisted
- 2004: 5 baby girls named Tarralyn [debut]
- 2003: unlisted
- 2002: unlisted
Similar names like Taralyn and Taralynn were most popular during the ’80s…so why did the spelling Tarralyn suddenly emerge in 2004?
Because of singer Tarralyn Ramsey, the winner of VH1’s single-season singing competition Born to Diva, which aired from April to May, 2003.
Five of the eight episodes consisted of auditions held in each of five cities: Miami, New York, Atlanta, Philadelphia, and London. The city-wide winners (Tomey Sellars, Sasha Allen, Tarralyn Ramsey, Towanda Cofield, and Eno Uffort, respectively) then attended a week-long “Diva Boot Camp” in NYC. Finally, music executives whittled the field down to three finalists: Tomey, Tarralyn, and Towanda.
Online voting for the winner will begin on May 11 and will conclude during the opening moments of VH1’s live “VH1 Divas Duets” special on Thursday, May 22. A few minutes later, all of America — including the three finalists themselves — will learn the name of music’s next superstar Diva, who will then perform a song live onstage.
At the Diva Duets concert, which took place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Tarralyn got the chance to sing alongside headliners such as Whitney Houston, Beyoncé, Jewel, Chaka Khan, and Ashanti.
After the win, Tarralyn was featured in magazines like People, Seventeen, Ebony, and Jet. This print coverage would have helped draw attention to the specific spelling of her name.
What are your thoughts on the name Tarralyn? (Which spelling do you prefer?)
Sources: Born to Diva – VH1.com, About – Tarralyn Ramsey, Tarralyn Ramsey – Wikipedia, VH1 is Born to Diva – Daily Double, SSA
Image: Screenshot of Born to Diva
