How popular is the baby name Joanie in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Joanie.

The graph will take a few moments to load. (Don't worry, it shouldn't take 9 months!) If it's taking too long, try reloading the page.


Popularity of the baby name Joanie


Posts that mention the name Joanie

Mystery baby name: LaQuita

Graph of the usage of the baby name Laquita in the U.S. since 1880
Usage of the baby name Laquita

When the popularity of a particular baby name spikes, there’s always an explanation.

Most of the time, the explanation isn’t hard to come up with. Hundreds of baby girls were named Rhiannon after Fleetwood Mac’s Rhiannon was released in 1976, dozens of baby boys were named Rambo after the Rambo movies started coming out in the early 1980s, and so forth.

Sometimes, the explanation isn’t as conspicuous. I didn’t immediately see the connection between the name Aquanette and B-movie actress Burnu Acquanetta, for instance. Only after mulling it over for a while was I able to link the name Kasara to a long-forgotten Lisa Lisa song.

Today’s name belongs in that latter group. In fact, the explanation for today’s name is so inconspicuous that I haven’t been able to piece it together, even after months of trying.

So I’m giving up. I’m just going to post what I know and hope that some wise soul leaves a comment that helps me unravel the mystery. :)

The name is Laquita. (It’s often written LaQuita in obituaries.) It debuted in the U.S. baby name data in 1930, coming out of nowhere to be given to an impressive 68 baby girls that year.

Now, the number 68 might seem trivial. Today’s most popular names are given to tens of thousands of babies each, after all. As far as newbie names go, though, 68 is huge. Especially when you’re talking about the early 20th century. Here’s some context:

  • Top debut names of 1926: Narice, 13; Bibb, 15
  • Top debut names of 1927: Sunya, 14; Bidwell, 14
  • Top debut names of 1928: Joreen, 22; Alfread & Brevard, 9
  • Top debut names of 1929: Jeannene, 26; Donnald, Edsol, Rhys & Wolfgang, 8
  • Top debut names of 1930: Laquita, 68; Shogo, 11
  • Top debut names of 1931: Joanie, 12; Rockne, 17
  • Top debut names of 1932: Carolann, Delano & Jenine, 11; Alvyn, Avelardo, Elena, Mannon & Wenford, 7
  • Top debut names of 1933: Gayleen, 23; Skippy, 10
  • Top debut names of 1934: Carollee & Janean, 12; Franchot, 9

Laquita jumped into the top 1,000 right away, ranking 874th. It remained there for the next three years.

Here’s a final fact that could be helpful: None of the 28 1930-Laquitas listed in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) were born during the first four months of the year. The name starts to show up in May, with 3 Laquitas born that month. This may mean that a mid-year event triggered the spike.

Any ideas?

Source: SSA

What brought the baby name Fonzie back in the 1970s?

The character Fonzie from the TV series "Happy Days" (1974-1984)
Fonzie from “Happy Days“

The name Fonzie — a nickname for Alfonso (and similar names) — appeared in the U.S. baby name data a handful of times during the early 20th century.

Then, after a four-decade absence from the data, Fonzie suddenly experienced a brief revival:

  • 1979: unlisted
  • 1978: unlisted
  • 1977: 8 baby boys named Fonzie
  • 1976: 6 baby boys named Fonzie
  • 1975: 9 baby boys named Fonzie
  • 1974: unlisted
  • 1973: unlisted

Why?

Because of the popular character Arthur “Fonzie” Fonzarelli (played by Henry Winkler) from the TV series Happy Days, which premiered in 1974.

The main character of the series (which was set in the 1950s) was wholesome Wisconsin high schooler Richie Cunningham. Richie’s unlikely best friend, Fonzie, was a greaser who wore a leather jacket, rode a motorcycle, and worked as an auto mechanic (having dropped out of high school). Fonzie was the show’s breakout character.

What are your thoughts on the baby name Fonzie?

Sources: Happy Days – Wikipedia, SSA

P.S. The Happy Days spin-offs Joanie Loves Chachi and Out of the Blue also influenced U.S. baby names…

[Latest update: April 2023]

Where did the baby name Chachi come from in 1982?

The characters Joanie and Chachi from the TV series "Joanie Loves Chachi" (1982-1983)
Joanie and Chachi of “Joanie Loves Chachi“

The TV show Joanie Loves Chachi (1982-1983) was a Happy Days spin-off that focused on the characters Joanie Cunningham (sister of Richie) and Charles “Chachi” Arcola (cousin of Fonzie).

Joanie Loves Chachi didn’t last long, but it did make an impact on expectant parents.

In 1982, not only did the baby name Chachi show up in the U.S. baby name data for the first and only time, but the baby name Joanie was boosted back into the top 1,000 one last time:

Boys named ChachiGirls named Joanie
1984.86
1983.129
19829*176 [rank: 876th]
1981.130
1980.132
*Debut

Later that year, though, ABC’s Joanie Loves Chachi got destroyed (ratings-wise) by NBC’s The A-Team. Chachi never appeared on the charts again, and Joanie went downhill until it fell off the SSA’s list entirely (i.e., was given to fewer than five baby girls) in 2008.

P.S. Here’s the cheesy Joanie Loves Chachi opening theme song. Don’t say I didn’t warn you…

Update (2/26/15) – Just spotted the Chachi-variant Shashi, which was a one-hit the same year.