The name Chamique first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1997. It remained in the data for two more years, then fell back below the SSA’s five-baby threshold.
- 2000: unlisted
- 1999: 13 baby girls named Chamique
- 1998: 9 baby girls named Chamique
- 1997: 5 baby girls named Chamique [debut]
- 1996: unlisted
Where did it come from?
College basketball player Chamique (pronounced sha-MEE-kwah) Holdsclaw.
She was dubbed the “female Michael Jordan” while playing at the University of Tennessee (under renowned coach Pat Summitt) during the late 1990s.
Holdsclaw helped lead the Lady Vols to three consecutive NCAA championships in 1996, 1997 and 1998. After the second two wins, she was named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four. After the third — which capped off an undefeated 39-0 season — she was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.
Chamique Holdsclaw was selected first overall by the Washington Mystics in the 1999 WNBA draft, and went on to become a six-time WNBA All-Star and an Olympic gold medalist.
What are your thoughts on the name Chamique?
Sources:
- Chamique Holdsclaw – Wikipedia
- Gelin, Dana. “Bound for glory forward Chamique Holdsclaw is on the fast track to become Tennessee’s biggest star ever.” Sports Illustrated 2 Dec. 1996.
- Fleischer, Adam. “Cover Woman.” Slam 3 Jul. 2014.
- SSA
Image: Clipping from the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine (6 Apr. 1998)