Wednesday, December 18, 2013

The Meteoric Rise and Fall of Tammy


Tammy made her first appearance on the top 1000 in 1947, at #958, and struggled to remain on the chart for the next four years.   According to Think Baby Names, Tammy is a shortened form of Thomasina, which made only one appearance on the Popular Baby Names chart -- in 1932 at #969.


From a Turner Classic Movies description.    In a perhaps ironic twist of fate, Debbie Reynolds was 25, married to singer Eddie Fisher, and pregnant with her daughter Carrie when she played the innocent, backwoods 17-year-old Tambley "Tammy" Tyree in Tammy and the Bachelor (1957). It was a Cinderella story with a dash of hokum and more than a dash of the "bright as a new copper penny" personality of Debbie Reynolds. The combination added up to a gold record for Reynolds, a box office hit, and a franchise for Universal.

Not to mention a 476-point boost for Tammy on the 1957 list of popular baby names.




Tammy went on to spend 11 years among the top 15 names (1963-1973) before beginning her abrupt fall from grace.  By 1991, she had slid past 500, falling off the chart after 1998.



"Tammy", the single, made her debut on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week ending July 22, 1957.  She held the #1 spot for 5 weeks.  All told, she spent an incredible 31 weeks on the chart.

"That cute little Debbie Reynolds" did quite the baby name sales job with Tammy.

Other baby name posts:
Anita and Wanda: When you're hot, you're hot, when you're not, you're not. (12/15/2013) 
Autumn's child has it all over Spring Byington.  (12/12/2013)
Are you a boy or are you a girl?  (12/7/2013)
April, May, and June:  The baby names of spring.  (12/4/2013)
[Nose tinkle] Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle clue: 7 down, Daughter in "Bewitched".  (12/1/2013)
Anna, a model of consistency through the years.  (11/30/2013)
Rubies and Pearls.  (11/29/2013)
The Lucy and Ethel synchronized dive.  (11/28/2013)
The George Burns and Gracie Allen line graph.  (11/27/2013)
Rick, Dick & Rich -- but above all, Richard.  (11/26/2013)
When Jennifers rules the world.  (11/24/2013)
Ralph and Alice part ways in 1988. (11/23/2013)
Now Appearing in a Colorful Line Graph -- The 6 Jans.  (11/23/2013)
Which Do You Prefer: Catherine/Cathy or Katherine/Kathy?  (11/22/2013)
Just when you thought he was going, going, gone, Eugene bounces back.  (11/21/2013)
Sidney swings both ways.  (11/21/2013)
Popular baby names:  Nancy (1880-2012).  (11/17/2013
Madge: Off the chart even when she was an advertising icon.  (11/16/2013)
Cindy: Not Always a Nickname for Cynthia (Since 1938).  (11/15/2013)
Lizabeth:  There's only one reason why this name made the list.  (11/14/2013)
Paul and Paula:  1954 was their very best year together.  (11/14/2013)
Bonnie and Clyde take a dive together.  (11/13/2013)
Joseph demonstrates more staying power than Mary.  (11/12/2013)
The popularity of Elizabeth as a baby name:  1880-2012.  (11/12/2013)
The popularity of William as a baby name.  (11/12/2013)
The popularity of Thomas as a baby name.  (11/11/2013)
Susan is losin' popularity.  (11/11/2013)
The popularity of Robert as a baby name: 1880-2012.  (11/10/2013)
The popularity of Denise as a baby name:  1926-2012.  (11/10/2013)
The popularity of John as a baby name:  1880-2012.  (11/9/2013)
The popularity of Sheila as a baby name:  1917-2002, 2003-2004.  (11/9/2013)
The popularity of James as a baby name: 1880-2012.  (11/7/2013)
The popularity of Michael as a baby name: 1880-2012.  (11/7/2013)
The popularity of Sherry as a baby name:  1926-1995.  (11/7/2013)
Friends choose 15th and 16th most popular baby names for their unexpected twin boys.  (11/3/2013) 
Destiny Hope Cyrus's impact on popular baby names for girls.  (10/15/2013)
There really was something about Mary.  (9/22/2013)
"Gone With the Wind" and baby names.  (11/27/2011)
The baby names list, 1900-1999.  (5/11/2010)

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