The name Derna debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1912:
- 1914: 6 baby girls named Derna
- 1913: 5 baby girls named Derna
- 1912: 10 baby girls named Derna [debut & peak usage]
- 1911: unlisted
- 1910: unlisted
The reason could be either (or both) of two related things that drew attention to the African place-name Derna that year.
The first was the single-day Battle of Derna on March 3, 1912 (110 years ago today). The battle was part of the Italo-Turkish War and it took place near Derna, a port city in northeastern Libya.
The second was the Italian silent film The Heroine from Derna (originally L’eroica fanciulla di Derna), a drama set against the backdrop of the battle. It was released in the U.S. in June.
The modern city of Derna was founded by Islamic refugees from Al-Andalus during the late 15th century. (The Iberian Peninsula was being re-conquered by European Christians at that time.) Originally, the site was an Ancient Greek colony called Darnis or Darne.
What are your thoughts on the baby name Derna?
Source: Ahmida, Ali Abdullatif. The Making of Modern Libya: State Formation, Colonization, and Resistance. Albany: SUNY Press, 2009.
Image: Advertisement in the June 15, 1912, issue of The Moving Picture World