Deyanne was a two-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data at the start of the 1950s:
- 1952: unlisted
- 1951: 7 baby girls named Deyanne
- 1950: 13 baby girls named Deyanne [debut]
- 1949: unlisted
- 1948: unlisted
Where did the name come from?
A New York debutante named Deyanne O’Neil Farrell.
Deyanne never appeared on the cover of Life (like Brenda Frazier) or on the cover of Jet (like Theonita Cox). But she did appear inside the December 1949 issue of Vogue. She wore a white ball gown designed by Ceil Chapman and the photo was taken by famous fashion photographer Horst P. Horst.
The New York Times announced Deyanne’s engagement the next month, and she married Herbert Miller in St. Patrick’s Cathedral the month after that.
Their wedding photos ended up being part of a marketing campaign for soap made by the Woodbury Soap Company, which regularly featured debutantes and actresses in its advertisements. The images above, for instance, came from a full-page ad in a mid-1950 issue of LIFE. I saw other versions of the ad in other magazines (like McCall’s) and in the newspapers (like the Pittsburgh Press) in 1950 and 1951.
The Woodbury ads featuring Deyanne are no doubt what gave the name a boost on the charts during both of those years.
And Deyanne gave one more thing a boost a few years later: Portuguese Water Dogs. In fact, she’s credited with introducing the breed to the United States in 1968. Four decades after that, the Obama family introduced the breed to the White House. (Their Portuguese Water Dogs were named Bo and Sunny.)
But let’s get back to human names now…do you like the name Deyanne? Do you like it more or less than the similar name Diane?
Sources:
- “Deyanne Farrell Becomes Fiancee; a Bride-to-be.” New York Times 7 Jan. 1950: 20.
- “Deyanne Farrell Wed to a Veteran; Married in Ceremony at St. Patrick’s.” New York Times 19 Feb. 1950: 70.
- History – The Portuguese Water Dog Club of America
- SSA
Images: Clippings from Life magazine (8 May 1950)
[Latest update: Jul. 2024]