Author: Nancy Man

The interesting name Cerrone appeared in the U.S. baby name data during the late ’70s and the early ’80s — never before, and never since.

• 1980: 7 baby boys named Cerrone
• 1979: 20 baby boys named Cerrone
• 1978: 15 baby boys named Cerrone
• 1977: 7 baby boys named Cerrone [debut]
• 1976: unlisted

What’s the explanation?

French disco music producer, composer, and drummer Marc Cerrone (pronounced ser-OWN). He became famous in the U.S. when his song “Love in C Minor” unexpectedly became popular in the discos:

An employee at Champs Disques in Paris had mistakenly sent a box of Love in C Minor records back to the shop’s wholesaler in New York. Intrigued by the album’s provocative cover photo, a DJ who worked for the wholesaler began spinning the title track at a local disco. Other DJ’s quickly followed suit […] Cerrone recalls, “I made an appointment and met Atlantic’s Ahmet Ertegun, who offered me a contract immediately.”

In March and April of 1977, “Love in C Minor” peaked at #2 on the Dance Club chart, #29 on the R&B chart, and #36 on the Hot 100. The Guardian recently said that “the string-adorned Love In C Minor practically defined the slick Studio 54 sound.”

Cerrone followed it up with other successful songs, including “Supernature” (1977) and “Je Suis Music” (1978).

Though Cerrone was from France, his surname is apparently Italian. The root is the word cerro, which refers to the Quercus cerris, a type of oak tree native to south-eastern Europe and Asia Minor.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Cerrone?

P.S. Like “Love in C Minor,” the song “Tequila” was also a surprise hit…

Sources:

• Cerrone Chart History – Billboard
• Cerrone, the disco pioneer you’ve probably never heard of
• Hanks, Patrick. (Ed.) Dictionary of American Family Names. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003.
• “The Music of Life”: An Interview with Disco Pioneer Marc Cerrone