Where did the baby name Jehnna come from in 1985?

The characters Conan and Jehnna from the movie "Conan the Destroyer" (1984)
Conan & Jehnna from “Conan the Destroyer

In 1985, the Jenna-like name Jehnna debuted in the U.S. baby name data:

  • 1987: unlisted
  • 1986: unlisted
  • 1985: 10 baby girls named Jehnna [debut]
  • 1984: unlisted
  • 1983: unlisted

The similar name Jehna also appeared for the first time in the data that year.

What was the influence?

A character in the 1984 movie Conan the Destroyer — the campy sequel to Conan the Barbarian (1982). Both films starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as Conan, but only the second film included the virgin princess Jehnna (played by actress Olivia d’Abo).

Speaking of Conan…it’s very interesting to see how swiftly usage of the name dropped during the early 1980s — specifically, in 1982 and 1984:

Graph of the usage of the baby name Conan in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Conan

What are your thoughts on the name Conan? How about Jehnna?

Sources: Conan the Destroyer – Wikipedia, SSA

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