The curious name Phronsie first appeared in the SSA’s baby name data in 1940, and it popped up three more times that decade before leaving the charts for good:
- 1946: unlisted
- 1945: 6 baby girls named Phronsie
- 1944: 5 baby girls named Phronsie
- 1943: unlisted
- 1942: unlisted
- 1941: 8 baby girls named Phronsie
- 1940: 5 baby girls named Phronsie [debut]
- 1939: unlisted
- 1938: unlisted
Where did it come from?
A cute movie character named Phronsie (Sophronia) Pepper. She was the youngest Pepper child in a series of four feature films (Five Little Peppers and How They Grew, Five Little Peppers at Home, Out West with the Peppers, and Five Little Peppers in Trouble) released in 1939 and 1940. Phronsie was played by child actress Dorothy Ann Seese in all four films.
The films were loosely based on the the series of “Five Little Peppers” books by author Margaret Sidney.
The names of the four other Peppers were Ben (Ebenezer), Polly (Mary), Joey (Joel), and Davie (David).
What are your thoughts on the name Phronsie?