The baby name Trenace debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1953:
- 1955: unlisted
- 1954: 6 baby girls named Trenace
- 1953: 32 baby girls named Trenace [debut]
- 1952: unlisted
- 1951: unlisted
It was the top debut name that year, but…I can’t figure out why.
My only theory is a weak one: Sutton Roley, a director associated with various well-known ’60s and ’70s television shows, welcomed a baby girl named Trenace Carman Roley in 1953. In the early ’50s he wasn’t a household name — I don’t think he was ever a household name — but he was working as a stage manager at NBC. So it’s plausible that the baby’s name was mentioned on-air for some reason, and that this is what caused the spike.
Any other ideas?
Update, Aug. 2024: Commenter Trenace mentioned that her mother discovered her name while watching the NBC variety program The Kate Smith Hour. During one particular episode, Kate Smith asked Sutton Roley — who was working on the show at that time — about the name of his newborn baby. We may never unearth footage of the episode, but I don’t doubt that this (or something similar) actually happened, and thereby influenced the usage of the baby name Trenace.
P.S. Trenace Roley’s mother, Carrie McCord, was a TV personality in the mid-1950s. One of the shows she hosted was the CBS children’s program Exploring God’s World (1954), which also featured a young Glenn Walken.
Sources:
- “Carrie McCord is named ‘Home’ fashion editor.” N.B.C. Trade Releases Oct. 1954.
- Sutton Roley Obituary (2007) – Pasadena Star-News – Legacy.com
- “The Kate Smith Daytime Hour” (NBC) Season 3 – CTVA
- SSA
Image: Kate Smith Show 1953 (public domain)
