The curious name Quetcy suddenly appeared in the U.S. baby name data in the late 1960s. It was particularly popular in the state of New York.
- 1970: 5 baby girls named Quetcy (and 5 more named Quetzy)
- 1969: 8 baby girls named Quetcy
- 5 born in New York
- 1968: 21 baby girls named Quetcy [debut]
- 17 born in New York
- 1967: unlisted
- 1966: unlisted
Where did it come from?
Young Puerto Rican singer Quetcy Alma Martínez De Jesús, who was based in New York City and was known as La Lloroncita (translation: “crybaby”) because she was able to cry on cue while singing emotional songs.
Her first recordings were released in 1967. She became popular in Puerto Rico, New York City, and several other U.S. cities with Latin American communities.
Quetcy Alma — whose first name may have been based on the Nahuatl word quetzalli, meaning “feather (from the quetzal bird)” — put out music until the mid-1970s. Accordingly, her name’s final appearance in the data was in 1974.
What are your thoughts on the name Quetcy?
Sources:
- Conzo, Joe, and David A. Perez. Mambo Diablo: My Journey With Tito Puente. Bloomington, IN: AuthorHouse, 2010.
- Quetzalli – Behind the Name