While we’re mulling over the case of Laquita, I’ll throw out another mystery baby name: Nerine.
Nerine was in the U.S. baby name data for four years in a row:
- 1921: unlisted
- 1920: 6 baby girls named Nerine
- 1919: 13 baby girls named Nerine
- 1918: 17 baby girls named Nerine
- 1917: 43 baby girls named Nerine (the #1 debut name for girls)
- 1916: unlisted
A variant, Nerene, also popped up in the data in 1917 and 1918:
- 1919: unlisted
- 1918: 7 baby girls named Nerene
- 1917: 11 baby girls named Nerene [debut]
- 1916: unlisted
What else can I tell you about Nerine? Well, it’s a flower name based on the word Nereid, a form of Nereus. It’s also the name of a consort of Mars, Nerine/Nerio (different etymology).
But I have no idea what made it fashionable in 1917. I can’t find a pop culture explanation, and usage of Norene/Noreen/Norine didn’t spike that year, so there wasn’t any piggybacking involved.
Thoughts?