According to the U.S. baby name data, the name Mindy reached the girls’ top 100 for the first and only time in 1979:
- 1981: 1,827 baby girls named Mindy [rank: 155th]
- 1980: 2,262 baby girls named Mindy [rank: 131st]
- 1979: 3,712 baby girls named Mindy [rank: 81st]
- 1978: 1,593 baby girls named Mindy [rank: 170th]
- 1977: 1,235 baby girls named Mindy [rank: 205th]
Here’s a visual:
What caused that spike in usage?
My guess is the sitcom Mork & Mindy, which premiered in September of 1978.
Character Mindy McConnell (played by Pam Dawber) was a young woman who lived in Boulder, Colorado, and worked at her family’s music store on the Pearl Street Mall (which was relatively new at that time).
During the first episode of the show, Mindy encountered and befriended a zany extraterrestrial named Mork (played by Robin Williams). She offered to help him fit in on Earth if he would teach her more about his home planet, Ork.
Mork from Ork had actually been introduced to TV audiences earlier that year, in a February episode of Happy Days. The alien character proved so popular that a whole new series, Mork & Mindy, was created to showcase Robin Williams’ comedic talent.
What are your thoughts on name Mindy?
P.S. Two other Happy Days spin-offs, Out of the Blue and Joanie Loves Chachi, also influenced U.S. baby names…
Sources: Mork & Mindy – Wikipedia, SSA
Image: Screenshot of Mork & Mindy