The rare name Taana appeared in the U.S. baby name data for three years in a row, starting in 1979:
- 1982: unlisted
- 1981: 6 baby girls named Taana
- 1980: 5 baby girls named Taana
- 1979: 5 baby girls named Taana [debut]
- 1978: unlisted
Where did it come from?
Singer Taana (pronounced TAH-nah) Gardner, who released several successful singles during that period.
Her 1979 songs “Work That Body” and “When You Touch Me” both reached #10 on Billboard‘s Disco chart (in May and November, respectively). Her biggest hit, “Heartbeat,” ranked #6 on the Disco chart for several weeks in May of 1981.
She was born Taana Aida Gardner in New Jersey in 1960. Her grandmother, a former professional opera singer, began teaching her to sing when she was just five years old. (Her grandmother may have also been the one who chose her middle name, which is the title of an opera by Giuseppe Verdi.)
What are your thoughts on the name Taana?
Sources: Taana Gardner – Wikipedia, Taana Gardner interview [vid], SSA