In 1992, the unique name Dusharme was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data:
- 1994: unlisted
- 1993: unlisted
- 1992: 5 baby girls named Dusharme [debut]
- 1991: unlisted
- 1990: unlisted
Where did it come from?
Beauty queen Du Sharme Carter, who represented Oklahoma at Miss America 1993 (held in September of 1992). Though she didn’t win the pageant, she did place 4th runner-up.
I couldn’t find a clip of Du Sharme introducing herself, but pageant co-hosts Regis Philbin and Kathie Lee Gifford consistently pronounced her first name doo-SHAYR-mee — middle syllable like the first part of Sharon.
In October, Jet magazine profiled Du Sharme and the three other African-American delegates in the pageant that year. (The most successful, Pamela McKelvy of Kansas, placed 3rd runner-up.)
It’s possible that Du Sharme Carter’s name was inspired by DuSharme hair care products, which were being advertised regularly in African-American magazines like Jet and Ebony during the early 1970s (when she was born).
What are your thoughts on the name Du Sharme?
P.S. The winner of Miss America 1993 was Leanza Cornett.
Sources:
- Miss America 1993 – Wikipedia
- “Two Blacks Among Top Five Miss America Finalists.” Jet 5 Oct. 1992: 61.
- SSA
Image: Screenshot of the TV broadcast of the 66th Miss America pageant