How popular is the baby name Tuesdee 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 Tuesdee.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Tuesdee


Posts that mention the name Tuesdee

Where did the baby name Ardoth come from in 1933?

Ardoth after winning a race (circa 1930)
Ardoth Schneider after winning a race

The rare name Ardoth was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data in 1933:

  • 1935: unlisted
  • 1934: unlisted
  • 1933: 6 baby girls named Ardoth [debut]
  • 1932: unlisted
  • 1931: unlisted

What gave the name a boost that year?

My guess is female jockey and trick rider Ardoth Schneider.

She’d been winning races since the late 1920s, so her name — often misspelled “Ardath” — had been mentioned in the newspapers before.

But 1933 was the year she was declared Sweetheart of California Rodeo:

While thousands cheered themselves hoarse at the western arena [in Salinas] this afternoon as the spectacular 22nd annual rodeo got under way, the 1933 Sweetheart crown was placed over the lustrous, black locks of winsome Ardoth Schneider, 23, of Long Beach.

Following the win, various photos of Ardoth — typically astride or beside a horse — began popping up in the newspapers. And I think the photos (as opposed to the mere mentions) are what made the difference.

As the new “Sweetheart,” she went on a tour of Panama, Cuba, Mexico, Guatemala and El Salvador with a letter of introduction from President Roosevelt that described her as California’s “finest outdoor girl.”

What are your thoughts on the name Ardoth? Would you use it for a modern-day baby?

Sources:

  • “The Fair Sex in a New Field.” Cincinnati Enquirer 1 Apr. 1928: 110.
  • “Favorite of Rodeos.” Oakland Tribune 24 Sept. 1933: 57.
  • “Girl Student Rise to Tijuana Triumph.” New York Times 12 Mar. 1928: 25.
  • “Long Beach Girl Wins Sweetheart of Rodeo Honors.” Santa Cruz Sentinel 22 Jul. 1933: 3.
  • Davis-Platt, Joy. “She filled a long life with love, adventures.” St. Petersburg Times 1 Mar. 2003.

Image: © 1940 British Pathé (screenshot of USA: Female Jockeys Competing In Turf Classic Race)

P.S. For several months in the winter of 1928, Ardoth was in Japan performing for the coronation of Emperor Hirohito. Twice a day, she jumped her Shetland pony Betty off a 40-foot platform into a pool of water “to entertain the enthusiastic Japanese crowds.”

P.P.S. Tuesdee is another female jockey-inspired baby name I discovered in the data.

Where did the baby name Toosdhi come from in 1969?

The character Toosdhi from an episode of the TV series "It Takes a Thief" (1968).
Toosdhi from “It Takes a Thief”

The baby name Toosdhi first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1969:

  • 1973: unlisted
  • 1972: 7 baby girls named Toosdhi
  • 1971: unlisted
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: 5 baby girls named Toosdhi [debut]
  • 1968: unlisted

Where did it come from?

It’s not a variant of Tuesdee, which happened to debut the same year.

Instead, Toosdhi is one of the dozens of baby names that debuted thanks to minor television characters (e.g., Ibe, Alethea).

In Toosdhi’s case, the character was featured on a single episode of the action-adventure TV series It Takes a Thief (1968-1970).

The characters Toosdhi and Alexander from "It Takes a Thief" (1968-1970)
Toosdhi and Alexander from “It Takes a Thief”

In “To Catch a Roaring Lion,” which first aired on the very last day of 1968, main character Alexander Mundy (played by Robert Wagner) is sent to the fictional African country of Zambutiko to recover a set of ancient scrolls. In Zambutiko, Mundy meets Toosdhi Mboto (played by Denise Nicholas). After introducing herself, Toosdhi spells out her unique name:

“I’m Toosdhi.”

“Well, this is the first time that Monday’s ever going to follow Tuesday.”

“As with your name, it’s spelled differently. T-o-o-s-d-h-i. Toosdhi Mboto. My identification.”

“I don’t think I can read this out here, the sun is so bright. Why don’t we go to some dark spot, with rum in it.”

“I will be your personal guide while you’re here, Mr. Mundy.”

“You can call me Al.”

The name made a second appearance on the national list in the early ’70s, likely because of reruns, but hasn’t been back since.

What are your thoughts on the name Toosdhi?

P.S. From 1969 to 1974, Denise Nicholas played the part of a high school guidance counselor on the TV series Room 222.

Sources: “To Catch a Roaring Lion,” It Takes a Thief – IMDb, SSA
Images: Screenshots of It Takes a Thief

Where did the baby name Tuesdee come from in 1969?

Tuesdee Testa

American Pharoah winning the Triple Crown earlier this month reminded me of a baby name that was popularized by a horse race nearly 50 years ago.

The name Tuesdee debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1969:

  • 1971: unlisted
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: 10 baby girls named Tuesdee [debut]
  • 1968: unlisted
  • 1967: unlisted

Where did it come from specifically?

A female jockey named Tuesdee Testa.

She became the first female jockey to win at a major American Thoroughbred track (Santa Anita Park) on March 1st of that year. She was 27 years old at the time.

Tuesdee was her legal name, but it wasn’t her birth name. She was born a Helen. But she preferred “Tuesdee” — a nickname bestowed by her grandmother — and eventually had it changed.

In April of 1969, Tuesdee Testa took part in the all-female “Lady Godiva Stakes.” I’m not sure how long she continued to race professionally, but fellow female jockey Diane Crump has since noted that Testa and others left the sport because of sexism: “They couldn’t take the pressure from the fans.”

(The name Tuesday was already being given to dozens of babies per year by the late ’60s, thanks to actress Tuesday Weld.)

Sources: