Where did the baby name Darina come from in 1948?

The character Anna La Darina from the movie "The Unfinished Dance" (1947).
Anna La Darina from “The Unfinished Dance“

In 1948, the baby name Darina first appeared in the U.S. baby name data:

  • 1950: 5 baby girls named Darina
  • 1949: unlisted
  • 1948: 7 baby girls named Darina [debut]
  • 1947: unlisted
  • 1946: unlisted

Where did it come from?

My guess is the movie The Unfinished Dance (1947).

The main character was a young girl in ballet school named Meg. She idolized the head of the school, Ariane Bouchet (played by Cyd Charisse), so when she learned that Ariane would not be dancing the lead in the upcoming production of Swan Lake — that the part would instead go to visiting prima ballerina Anna La Darina — she was not pleased. In fact, she set out to sabotage “La Darina.”

But things went too far: while La Darina was dancing a solo sequence on opening night, Meg went for the light switch…but ended up pulling the trap door lever instead. La Darina fell through the stage, injured her spine, and was told that she would never dance again.

By the end of the movie, Meg discovered that she’d been idolizing the wrong person all along. Ariane was revealed to be self-absorbed, whereas La Darina proved to be generous and forgiving.

What are your thoughts on the name Darina?

Sources: The Unfinished Dance (1947) – IMDB, The Unfinished Dance (1947) – TCM

What gave the baby name Desree a boost in 1995?

The Des'ree single "You Gotta Be" (1994)
Des’ree single

The rare name Desree saw its highest usage in 1995:

  • 1997: 16 baby girls named Desree
  • 1996: 22 baby girls named Desree
  • 1995: 54 baby girls named Desree
  • 1994: 8 baby girls named Desree
  • 1993: 5 baby girls named Desree

Why?

Because of mononymous English singer/songwriter Des’ree (pronounced dez-ray), whose stage name is a shortened form of her legal first name, Desirée.

Her most successful single, the uplifting “You Gotta Be” (1994), spent a total of 44 weeks on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart, peaking at #5 in March of 1995.

The song’s music video aired frequently on VH1 during the mid-1990s. It was even spoofed on Saturday Night Live in January of 1995.

Des’ree also contributed the memorable ballad called “Kissing You” to the soundtrack of the 1996 movie William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (which kicked off the baby name Quindon, incidentally).

What are your thoughts on the name Des’ree?

Sources:

Where did the baby name Tynisa come from in 1976?

The Major Harris album "Jealousy" (1976)
Major Harris album

The name Tynisa debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1976, but it wasn’t just any old debut — it was the most impressive debut of the year with a whopping 79 baby girls:

  • 1978: 19 baby girls named Tynisa
  • 1977: 32 baby girls named Tynisa
  • 1976: 79 baby girls named Tynisa [debut] [peak usage]
  • 1975: unlisted
  • 1974: unlisted

Two-thirds of those 79 Tynisas were born in just four states: New York (18), California (14), Pennsylvania (13), and Ohio (7).

Where did the come from all of a sudden?

The Major Harris song “Tynisa (Goddess Of Love),” which was one of the tracks on his 1976 album Jealousy.

“Tynisa” wasn’t a single, but the album was popular (reaching #33 on the R&B charts in early 1976), so a number of people would have heard the song regardless.

What are your thoughts on the name Tynisa?

Source: Major Harris – Billboard

Where did the baby name Trinere come from in 1990?

Trinere's self-titled debut album (1986).
Trinere album

The baby name Trinere has appeared a single time in the SSA’s baby name data so far:

  • 1992: unlisted
  • 1991: unlisted
  • 1990: 5 baby girls named Trinere [debut]
  • 1989: unlisted
  • 1988: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Miami-based freestyle vocalist Trinere, who saw the most success from the mid-1980s to the early 1990s. Although the name was a one-hit wonder, Trinere herself was not — a number of her songs ended up on Billboard’s Hip Hop and Dance Singles charts.

Trinere’s full name at birth was Trinere Veronica Farrington.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Trinere?

Sources: Trinere – Wikipedia, Rare and Obscure Music: Trinere

P.S. Another Latin freestyle singer we’ve talked about before? Lisa Lisa!