We already know that singer Lanny Ross popularized the baby name Lanny during the 1930s and early 1940s. But why did the name see a sudden jump in usage several years later, in 1949?
- 1951: 409 baby boys named Lanny [rank: 336th]
- 1950: 489 baby boys named Lanny [rank: 306th]
- 1949: 498 baby boys named Lanny [rank: 303rd] (peak usage)
- 1948: 298 baby boys named Lanny [rank: 392nd]
- 1947: 335 baby boys named Lanny [rank: 376th]
Ross could still be heard on the radio in the late 1940s, but I think this renewed interest in the name was due to another Lanny: teenage actor Lanny Rees.
In 1949, Lanny Rees was featured in two different adaptations of the popular 1940s radio sitcom The Life of Riley. In both, he played the main character’s son, Chester A. Riley, Jr. (known simply as “Junior”).
The first adaptation, the film The Life of Riley, was released in theaters in April.
The second adaptation, the TV series The Life of Riley, started airing on NBC in October. Despite being proclaimed the “Best Film Made for & Viewed on Television” at the second-ever Emmy Awards in January of 1950, the show lasted only two-thirds of a season (ending in March).
Lanny Rees, the youngest of eight siblings, was born in Washington state in 1933. Given the year of his birth, it’s likely that he himself was an early Lanny Ross namesake.
P.S. The fictional Riley family also included a daughter named Barbara “Babs” Riley, who was older than Junior. Babs played a key part in the film (which featured her wedding) — this could could explain why the baby name Babs saw an uptick in usage in 1949.
Sources:
- The Life of Riley – Wikipedia
- Dennis, Ken. “Lanny Reese: All-American Boy of the ’40s.” Films of the Golden Age 29 Apr. 2009.
- The Life of Riley – Emmy Awards
- SSA
Image: Screenshot of the TV series The Life of Riley (Jan. 1950)