The curious name Johnse first popped up in the U.S. baby name data in 2013:
- 2016: unlisted
- 2015: 9 baby boys named Johnse
- 2014: 12 baby boys named Johnse
- 2013: 8 baby boys named Johnse
- 2012: unlisted
Where did it come from?
The three-part TV miniseries Hatfields & McCoys, which aired on the History Channel in May of 2012.
The Emmy-winning show was (of course) about the legendary feud between the Hatfield family of West Virginia and the McCoy family of Kentucky.
One of the subplots focused on the doomed romance between Johnson “Johnse” Hatfield (played by Matt Barr) and Roseanna McCoy (played by Lindsay Pulsipher). The nickname Johnse was pronounced JAHN-zee.
(Confusingly, the patriarch of the Hatfield clan — William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield [played by Kevin Costner in the miniseries] — had a nickname with a similar ending, but a different pronunciation: Anse rhymed with “dance.”)
What are your thoughts on the name Johnse? Would you use it as a standalone name?
P.S. The Johnse/Roseanna romance was highlighted in the 1949 film Roseanna McCoy…
Sources: Hatfields & McCoys (miniseries) – Wikipedia, SSA
Image: Screenshot of Hatfields & McCoys