How popular is the baby name Maravene 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 Maravene.

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Popularity of the baby name Maravene


Posts that mention the name Maravene

Where did the baby name Maravene come from in the 1910s?

The book "Persuasive Peggy" (1916) by Maravene Thompson
Book by Maravene Thompson

The unusual name Maravene popped up in the U.S. baby name data just twice, both times in the 1910s:

  • 1918: unlisted
  • 1917: 6 baby girls named Maravene
  • 1916: unlisted
  • 1915: unlisted
  • 1914: unlisted
  • 1913: 5 baby girls named Maravene [debut]
  • 1912: unlisted

The similar name Marvene debuted in 1913 as well.

What was the influence?

Ohio-born author Maravene Thompson, whose short stories were being published in magazines like McClure’s, The American Magazine, Good Housekeeping, and Harper’s Weekly in the 1910s. She also put out several books, including The Woman’s Law (1914) and Persuasive Peggy (1916).

Some of her written works were made into movies. Persuasive Peggy, for instance, was adapted for the screen in 1917. She also wrote screenplays specifically, such as the ones for the (now lost) silent films Heredity (1918) and The Heart of a Girl (1918).

What are your thoughts on the baby name Maravene? Which name do you prefer, Maravene or Marvene?

Sources: Maravene Thompson – IMDb, Standard Index of Short Stories, 1900-1933

Where did the baby name Nedda come from in 1919?

Actress Barbara Castleton, who played Nedda in the movie "Heredity" (1918)
Barbara Castleton

The rare name Nedda first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1919:

  • 1921: unlisted
  • 1920: unlisted
  • 1919: 6 baby girls named Nedda [debut]
  • 1918: unlisted
  • 1917: unlisted

Why?

My guess is a silent film.

The movie Heredity, which came out in August of 1918, featured a main character named Nedda Trevor. She was played primarily by actress Barbara Castleton. (The child-version of Nedda was played by Madge Evans.)

The film is now lost, but, according to one contemporary description, Nedda was

…a descendant of a famous family who, in the time of Charles the First, had rendered a great service to this monarch and were accorded signal honors. Reverses having overtaken the Trevors, Nedda is compelled to seek employment in a factory. She charms the son of the millionaire owner of the plant, but will not marry him because of the difference in their financial standing. Her mother is mysteriously murdered and through circumstantial evidence she is arrested for the crime. The story is dramatic and forceful and full of surprises.

The story (originally entitled “The Blood of the Trevors”) was written by Maravene Thompson.

The Italian name Nedda is a diminutive of Antonietta (which itself is a diminutive of Antonia). What are your thoughts on the name?

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