The name Chelsea and its many spelling variants (including Chelsey, Chelsie, and Chelsy) saw peak usage in the early 1990s. They’ve been on the decline ever since.
But Chelsi-with-an-i saw a noticeable (if brief) turnaround in 1995:
- 1998: 76 baby girls named Chelsi
- 1997: 111 baby girls named Chelsi
- 1996: 180 baby girls named Chelsi
- 1995: 303 baby girls named Chelsi [rank: 697th]
- 1994: 170 baby girls named Chelsi
- 1993: 267 baby girls named Chelsi [rank: 773rd]
- 1992: 324 baby girls named Chelsi [rank: 677th]
Why?
Because of beauty queen Chelsi Smith.
She won the Miss Texas USA pageant in mid-1994, then the Miss USA pageant in early 1995. (Notably, she was also voted Miss Congeniality by the other delegates in both contests.)
Finally, in May of 1995, Chelsi traveled to Windhoek, Namibia, to compete in the Miss Universe pageant (which was “broadcast to more than 600 million viewers worldwide”). She won this one as well, becoming the sixth U.S. woman to wear the Miss Universe crown.
The Miss Universe pageant has never included a talent competition, but it did introduce a national costume competition in the early 1960s. The costumes are often ostentatious (“sequins, feathers, fringe and of course, gigantic headpieces”), but Chelsi opted for something more modest:
Smith chose a 75-year-old ankle-length, silk-trimmed cotton lace dress as her national costume to commemorate the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which gave women the right to vote, passed in 1920.
What are your thoughts on the name Chelsi?
Sources:
- Chelsi Smith – Wikipedia
- Miss Universe 1995 – Wikipedia
- “Texan Wins the Miss Universe Pageant in Namibia.” Los Angeles Times 13 May 1995.
- Bundel, Ani. “Miss Universe is the only major beauty pageant worth watching. Here’s why.” NBC News THINK 16 Dec. 2018.
- SSA
Images: Screenshots of the TV broadcasts of the 44th Miss Universe pageant and the 44th Miss USA pageant
