According to the U.S. baby name data, the uncommon name Jodell more than doubled in usage in 1952:
- 1954: 31 baby girls named Jodell (8 born in Minnesota)
- 1953: 24 baby girls named Jodell (7 born in Minnesota)
- 1952: 37 baby girls named Jodell (16 born in Minnesota)
- 1951: 16 baby girls named Jodell (5 born in Minnesota)
- 1950: 19 baby girls named Jodell
Over half of the usage that year was in Minnesota. (The name seems to have been relatively popular in Minnesota to begin with, though.)
What caused the spike?
Beauty queen Jodell Stirmlinger, who represented Minnesota at the very first Miss USA pageant, held in June of 1952.
She wasn’t crowned Miss USA 1952, but she did place inside the top 10.
Interestingly, the Miss USA pageant — which does not require delegates to demonstrate a talent (e.g., singing, dancing, performing a monologue) — was founded by the Catalina swimsuit company, a former sponsor of the Miss America pageant. When Miss America 1951, Yolande Fox, refused to pose in Catalina swimsuits during the year of her reign, the company pulled its funding and launched a rival pageant.
What are your thoughts on the baby name Jodell?
P.S. The winner of Miss USA 1952, Jackie Loughery of New York, was married for several years to Jack Webb, the creator of shows like Dragnet, Adam-12, and Emergency! (which drew attention to the baby name Gage in the 1970s).
Sources:
- Miss USA 1952 – Wikipedia
- Argetsinger, Amy. “How the Swimsuit Showdown Shaped the Miss America Contest.” Smithsonian Magazine 13 Dec. 2021.
- SSA
Image: Clipping from the Jackson Sun (25 Jun. 1952)