Mystery baby name: Dameron

Dameron
Dameron in Ironside, early 1969

The baby name Dameron has been used sparingly for both genders. It’s only a one-hit wonder so far on the girls’ list, but, notably, it was the highest-hitting one-hit wonder the year it showed up:

  • 1971: unlisted
  • 1970: unlisted
  • 1969: 15 baby girls named Dameron [debut]
  • 1968: unlisted
  • 1967: unlisted

So, what’s behind that spike?

I don’t know for sure. My only theory so far makes sense in some ways, but not in others.

In February of 1969, an episode of the TV crime drama Ironside featured a bad-guy character named Dameron (played by Skip Homeier). Ironside was a popular show, and the timing was just right, but…this was a male character, and he was only featured in the last 15 minutes of the episode.

Could the character be the cause, or is this just a strange coincidence?

Do you have any theories about the sudden appearance of Dameron in the data?

(Here are two facts that could potentially be clues: Cameron saw slightly higher usage as a girl name in 1969, and the rarity Tameron popped up on the girls’ side of the list the same year.)

Source: Moonlight Means Money (TV episode) – Ironside – IMDb, Ironside – Wikipedia

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