Where did the baby name Shireen come from in 1923?

The characters Omar and Shireen from the movie "Omar the Tentmaker" (1922)
Omar and Shireen from “Omar the Tentmaker“

The baby name Shireen first appeared in the U.S. baby name data in 1923:

  • 1925: unlisted
  • 1924: unlisted
  • 1923: 5 baby girls named Shireen [debut]
  • 1922: unlisted
  • 1921: unlisted

A similar uptick can be seen in the Social Security Death Index (SSDI) data the same year:

  • 1925: 3 people named Shireen
  • 1924: 2 people named Shireen
  • 1923: 4 people named Shireen
  • 1922: no one named Shireen
  • 1921: 1 person named Shireen

What was drawing attention to the name Shireen around that time?

Two different characters in the silent film Omar the Tentmaker, which was released in December of 1922.

The movie was loosely based on the life of medieval Iranian polymath Omar Khayyam. Here’s how it was described in an advertisement:

Omar, most daring poet of ancient Persia, secretly wooed the beautiful, the forbidden Shireen, destined to be the bride of the Shah. Fleeing in the night, the Shah’s slaves tear them apart. Follows thrill, romance and conflict before the lovers are reunited in a most spectacular and smashing climax.

The plot, which spans a number of years, actually features two romances: the primary one between Omar (played by Guy Bates Post) and Shireen (Virginia Brown Faire), and a secondary one between the couple’s grown daughter “little Shireen” (Patsy Ruth Miller) and a Christian crusader.

The film was adapted from the 1914 play of the same name by playwright Richard Walton Tully.

The Persian name Shireen (also spelled Shirin) is transliteration of a Persian word meaning “sweet.” What are your thoughts on the name?

Sources:

Image: Clipping from Shadowland magazine (Oct. 1922)

What gave Corliss a boost as a boy name in 1994?

College basketball player Corliss Williamson
Corliss Williamson

The name Corliss, which was primarily given to baby girls during the 20th century, re-emerged in the U.S. baby name data as a boy name in 1994:

  • 1996: 5 baby boys named Corliss
  • 1995: 17 baby boys named Corliss
  • 1994: 22 baby boys named Corliss [peak usage]
  • 1993: unlisted
  • 1992: unlisted

Why?

Because of college basketball player Corliss Williamson, who attended the University of Arkansas from 1992 to 1995.

Corliss, a 6-foot-7 power forward, helped the Arkansas Razorbacks win their very first NCAA championship (against the Duke Blue Devils) in April of 1994. In fact, Corliss was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.

A week later, he was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

He led the Razorbacks to a second championship game the following season, but the team ultimately lost (to the UCLA Bruins).

Corliss forwent his senior year in order to enter the 1995 NBA draft. He was selected in the first round by the Sacramento Kings, and ended up playing for four different teams over the course of his 14-season professional career.

What are your thoughts on Corliss as a boy name?

P.S. Of the five names listed twice in the top returns post, Corliss is the only one that appeared both as a girl name (in 1943) and as a boy name (in 1994). The other four double-entry names are Ammie, Eulalia, Gale, and Victory.

Sources: Corliss Williamson – Wikipedia, SSA

Image: Clipping from the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine (11 Apr. 1994)

Where did the baby name Drexler come from in 1991?

Basketball player Clyde Drexler
Clyde Drexler

The surname-name Drexler first appeared in the U.S. baby name data 1991. It reached peak usage the very next year.

  • 1993: 6 baby boys named Drexler
  • 1992: 16 baby boys named Drexler [peak]
  • 1991: 6 baby boys named Drexler [debut]
  • 1990: unlisted
  • 1989: unlisted

Where did it come from?

Professional basketball player Clyde Drexler, who was named an All-Star ten times during his fifteen-year NBA career (from 1983 to 1998).

He spent most of those years with the Portland Trail Blazers, leading them to the NBA Finals twice: in 1990 (vs. Isiah Thomas’ Detroit Pistons) and again in 1992 (vs. Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls).

Following the 1991-92 season, Drexler finished second to Jordan in the vote for the league’s Most Valuable Player.

Drexler was the Blazers’ all-time scoring leader (with over 18,000 points) when he was traded to the Houston Rockets in early 1995. Months later — reunited with former University of Houston teammate Hakeem Olajuwon — he finally won an NBA Championship.

The surname Drexler is derived from the German occupational surname Drechsler, which originally referred to a wood turner.

What are your thoughts on Drexler as a first name?

P.S. “Clyde the Glide” may have also affected the usage of the baby name Clyde during his career, but it’s hard to tell.

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of Clyde Drexler during the 1992 NBA Playoffs (Western Conference, first round)

What gave the baby name Iesha a boost in 1991?

Scene from the music video for "Iesha" (1990) by Another Bad Creation
Scene from the music video for “Iesha”

The name Iesha, which first surfaced in the U.S. baby name data in the late 1960s, saw a distinct spike in usage in 1991:

  • 1993: 384 baby girls named Iesha [rank: 604th]
  • 1992: 581 baby girls named Iesha [rank: 432nd]
  • 1991: 1,896 baby girls named Iesha [rank: 157th]
  • 1990: 285 baby girls named Iesha [rank: 732nd]
  • 1989: 161 baby girls named Iesha

Why?

Because of the song “Iesha” by Another Bad Creation (ABC), an Atlanta-based hip-hop group made up of five young boys: Romell Chapman, Chris Sellers, David Shelton, and brothers Marliss and Demetrius Pugh.

“Iesha,” which was ABC’s debut single and biggest hit, “told the story of a playground attraction that turned into a Nintendo-and-cereal date.” The song was released in October of 1990 and peaked at #9 on Billboard‘s Hot 100 chart in April of 1991.

Here’s what it sounds like:

The song was written (in new jack swing style) by record producer Dallas Austin and ABC’s manager Michael Bivins (a member of Bell Biv DeVoe).

What are your thoughts on the name Iesha?

Sources:

Image: Screenshot of the music video for “Iesha”