Here are two curiously similar Quin- names that popped up in the U.S. baby name data around the same time. So far, I haven’t been able to figure out where either one came from.
The first is Quinetta, which first appeared in 1955:
- 1958: unlisted
- 1957: unlisted
- 1956: unlisted
- 1955: 12 baby girls named Quinetta [debut]
- 1954: unlisted
It dropped back below the 5-baby threshold the next year and didn’t reappear in the data until 1963.
The second is Quinette, which emerged in 1957:
- 1958: 5 baby girls named Quinette
- 1957: 8 baby girls named Quinette [debut]
- 1956: unlisted
- 1955: unlisted
- 1954: unlisted
Girl names with -ette and -etta endings (like Annette and Loretta) were popular mid-century, but girl names starting with Quin- (like Quintina and Quintella) were rare, making the sudden appearance of a pair of Quin- names pretty noteworthy.
I doubt that Burnu Acquanetta was an influence here, but I also can’t rule her out.
Do you guys have any ideas?