We may not be able to stop the Cheesepocalypse, but, while we’re waiting it out, we can talk about how Velveeta isn’t just a product name — it’s also a baby name!
The name Velveeta first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in the 1950s:
- 1960: unlisted
- 1959: 6 baby girls named Velveeta
- 1958: 5 baby girls named Velveeta
- 1957: 7 baby girls named Velveeta [debut]
- 1956: unlisted
- 1955: unlisted
I’ve actually found people named Velveeta born as early as the 1930s and as late as the 1980s, but it’s no surprise to me that the 1950s is when usage rose high enough for the name to pop up in the data. The product was being marketed heavily in the middle of the century, with television commercials and full-page ads in major magazines touting the product’s versatility and healthiness. (Today, Velveeta is actually a symbol of ’50s foods.)
So where does the word “Velveeta” come from?
The product was invented in the late 1910s by Swiss-born cheese-maker Emil Frey. The Kraft-Phenix company (later just Kraft) ended up acquiring the processed cheese spread and naming it “Velveeta” for its velvety consistency.
Velveeta was introduced nationally in the late 1920s, right around the start of the Great Depression. Here’s a Velveeta ad from 1929 telling people about the “delicious new cheese product.”
What do you think of the name Velveeta?
Do you know anyone with the name? How do they like it?
(Other food product baby names I’ve blogged about so far include Calizza, Dijonnaise and Oleomargarine.)
Sources: A Cheesy Meltdown: Kraft Warns Of Velveeta Shortage, And it was all yellow