The curious name Clovia debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1949:
- 1951: 5 baby girls named Clovia
- 1950: 13 baby girls named Clovia
- 1949: 22 baby girls named Clovia [debut]
- 1948: unlisted
- 1947: unlisted
It was the 4th-highest girl name debut that year after Rainelle, Rainell and Randye.
Where did it come from?
A comic strip!
The strip, called Gasoline Alley, debuted in newspapers in late 1918. (And it’s still being published today, amazingly.)
In mid-May, 1949, Gasoline Alley characters Skeezix and Nina Wallet welcomed a baby girl. Nina gave birth in a taxicab on the way to the hospital, in fact.
On the newborn’s left hand was a birthmark in the shape of a four-leaf clover.
Soon after the birth, the couple started looking for a name. On May 25th, they discussed Lucky, Cloverette and Cloverine. On May 26th, they discussed Clover, Clorine, Chloe, Clovis, and Clovia. Finally, on May 27th, Skeezix told his adoptive father, Walt, that they’d settled on Clovia.
And Clovia wasn’t just a comic strip character — for a time, she was also a doll.
In mid-1949, a few weeks after Clovia’s introduction, Clovia dolls — which featured the character’s lucky birthmark — became available in retail stores. (Dolls based on comic strip babies were trendy in the 1940s.)
The name Clovia remained in the U.S. baby name data through the 1950s, but usage petered out in the 1960s.
What are your thoughts on the name Clovia?
P.S. Clovia’s older brother was named Chipper.
Sources:
- Gasoline Alley comic strip (in the Daily Alaska Empire newspaper, via LOC)
- “Comic Strip Dolls.” Life 19 Oct. 1953: 82.
- Cushman, Philip. Constructing the Self, Constructing America. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo Press, 1995.
- SSA
Images:
- Clipping from the Daily Alaska Empire (25 May 1949)
- Clipping from Life magazine (19 Oct. 1953)
[Latest update: Apr. 2024]
Clovia as a uniquely female version of Clover does not sound bad, but Clover remains much more popular. Looking at the SSA data, I noticed Clover gaining momentum since 2004. All I could find was an anime titled “Honey and Clover”—can this be a reason?
Great point about Clover.
I don’t know of any pop culture-related reason why the usage of Clover might be increasing. (It doesn’t look like “Honey and Clover” was ever broadcast on U.S. television.) Anyone out there have any ideas?