The baby name Trenace debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1953:
- 1955: unlisted
- 1954: 6 baby girls named Trenace
- 1953: 32 baby girls named Trenace [debut]
- 1952: unlisted
- 1951: unlisted
It was the top debut name that year, but…I can’t figure out why.
My only theory is a weak one: Sutton Roley, a director associated with various well-known ’60s and ’70s television shows, welcomed a baby girl named Trenace Carman Roley in 1953. In the early ’50s he wasn’t a household name — I don’t think he was ever a household name — but he was working as a stage manager at NBC. So it’s plausible that the baby’s name was mentioned on-air for some reason, and that this is what caused the spike.
Any other ideas?
Update, Aug. 2024: Commenter Trenace mentioned that her mother discovered her name while watching the NBC variety program The Kate Smith Hour. During one particular episode, Kate Smith asked Sutton Roley — who was working on the show at that time — about the name of his newborn baby. We may never unearth footage of the episode, but I don’t doubt that this (or something similar) actually happened, and thereby influenced the usage of the baby name Trenace.
P.S. Trenace Roley’s mother, Carrie McCord, was a TV personality in the mid-1950s. One of the shows she hosted was the CBS children’s program Exploring God’s World (1954), which also featured a young Glenn Walken.
Sources:
- “Carrie McCord is named ‘Home’ fashion editor.” N.B.C. Trade Releases Oct. 1954.
- Sutton Roley Obituary (2007) – Pasadena Star-News – Legacy.com
- “The Kate Smith Daytime Hour” (NBC) Season 3 – CTVA
- SSA
Image: Kate Smith Show 1953 (public domain)
I was born in 1953 and my mother named me Trenace. Her story of its origin was while watching a Kate Smith show, Kate Smith asked one of the people working on the show what they had named their baby. He said his wife was reading a French book and it came from that. I was so pleased to come across this article as it confirms what I tell everybody who asked about my name.
Oh wow, that’s so intriguing! Thank you so much, Trenace, for leaving a comment with your story. Now we have something to search for.
Sutton Roley’s obituary does indeed mention that he worked on The Kate Smith Hour (1950-1954), so that’s a match.
According to the records, his daughter Trenace was born in April of 1953, which would have been during the show’s third season (Sept. 1952 to June 1953).
Did your mother recall anything else about that particular episode? Maybe the song(s) Kate sang, or any special guests?