She was a Top Ten pick for more than two decades. Can she still sound fresh today?
Thanks to Kelly for suggesting Susan as our Baby Name of the Day.
Susan’s heyday was 1946 through 1968, peaking at #2 in the late 1950s, behind only the enduring Mary. But it wasn’t just about Susan:
- Little Zuzu uttered the famous line “… every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings” in 1946’s holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life;
- A year later, Natalie Wood played Susan Walker in the equally evergreen Miracle on 34th Street;
- The Everly Brothers scored a smash hit with “Wake Up Little Susie” in 1957;
- Also in 1957, Dale Hawkins scored a modest success with “Susie Q,” though Credence Clearwater Revival’s 1968 cover is far more famous;
- Sue, Suzanne, Susie, Susanne, Suzette, Suzan, Susanna, Susana, Suzy, Suzanna, and Suzie all appeared in the US Top 1000 in the late 1950s;
- Dion scored a #1 hit with “Runaround Sue” in 1961.
By the time Johnny Cash recorded “A Boy Named Sue” in 1969, Sue was an iconic name for a girl, clearly not suited for a son. (Unless you had an ulterior motive to toughen up your boy.)
But Susan was no recent arrival. In her various forms, she’s enjoyed a long history of use. Susanna appeared in the Bible, from the Hebrew Shoshannah, derived from the Persian shoshan – lily. Susan has a second botanical connection: for centuries, a wildflower has been known as the Black-Eyed Susan, thanks to a folktale turned poem by John Gay.
Historical Susans range from seventeenth century Susan de Vere, Countess of Montgomery, to nineteenth century suffragette Susan B. Anthony.
But in 2009, Susan stood at a chilly #762. Actresses like Susan Sarandon, Susan Lucci, Susan Dey, Susan Olsen, and Susan St. James have long since abandoned the role of the ingenue. After all, Susan Olsen debuted as the youngest of The Brady Bunch in 1969, and Susan Dey played the musical Laurie Partridge on TV in the 1970s. Meet a Susan today, and she’s more likely to be the grandmother than the newborn baby girl.
And yet Susan could make an appealing option for parents seeking that elusive familiar-but-uncommon choice. Consider:
- Susan is the only variant of the name currently in the US Top 1000, but she’s instantly familiar to anyone;
- Susan’s u is completely current – from Lucas to Ruby, Lulu to Jude;
- Susan might have been a girls’ name in use since early days, but her ends-in-n sound fits in with tailored, gender neutral choices from Madison to Jordan;
- Her nicknames range from the retro Susie to the quirky Sukie to the exotic – yet silver screen-worthy – Zuzu.
It’s easy to imagine parents embracing Susan today. Only trouble? Odds are that any mention of Susan will conjure up a host of aunts, neighbors, your dad’s cousin, the secretary from your work study job at college, your first boss, your sister’s field hockey coach. If you’re lucky, and all of those Susans are lovely, generous women, then you might have that elusive find – a familiar name that your child will never share with anyone her age.
Of the Susan variants, my favorite is Suzanne. I love the sound and the letters. I once had an awful boss named Susan, so it has a negative connotation for me.
Interesting to note that two famous baby-boomer actresses changed their names from Susan, one to Stockard and the other to Sigourney.
Joy, that really is intriguing – I wouldn’t be surprised to meet a baby Sigourney. I almost think Susan would be more of a shock …
I have a girlfriend exactly my age named Susan, goes by Sue. My second middle is the lovely Susanne. I’m happy it’s my second middle, my gf is not thrilled it’s her first. Too plain, she says.
Now, I like Susanna & Susanne enough to use, but no other version. Those just seem softer to me. But I can see Susan appealling to parents that like Lauren but find her a bit plastic. Susan feels very girly to me, without that awful do-goody feel my own name has. *I’d* rather be a Susan than a Laura! 🙂 But I’d name a daughter of mine Susanna or my own Susanne and call her Daisy. Black eyed Susans were my Paternal Grandma’s favorite ever flower. So Susanna/e nn Daisy for Grandma Lily whose own name is far too popular for me to ever use.
Well, if my lovely friend ever stumbles upon this blog, she’ll know I love her name!
As a Susan ;on in late 1960, I have to tell you that your Grandma Lily, is close to being a Susan, since Susan is a Hebrew word meaning Lily!!!! I was supposed to be a sharon and my mom changed it as she was going in
to have me! Thank God!!!!
A couple of other variants: Suanne (my sister) and Su Kim (a Korean friend).
Susan may be the most dated name I have ever seen on this website. IMO not ready for a comeback.
I whole-heartedly agree. Susan is still too frumpy and dated yet…give it another 50 or so years and maybe it will sound fresh again.
(Someone who legally changed her name FROM Susan for those reasons)
I went to school with a Susan [born 1981]. She was always Susan — never Sue, Susie, Sooz, or anything else — just Susan. She named her kids Kimberly, Abagail, and Eric.
I’ve never been a fan of the names Susan or Susannah — I dislike the /soo/ sound and I find them very dated — but I adore Shoshannah.
Oops, I forgot that Eric is her step-son.
For me, and maybe others, Susan has a literary tie — Susan Pevensie from the Chronicles of Narnia, who was caring, motherly and brave (and who in the movie gets to hook up with Prince Caspian!)
I really like Susan, even though I’m not crazy about any of its nicknames. Susannah is a little frilly for my taste. I didn’t know Shakespeare had a daughter named Susan – interesting!
I’d find Susan incredibly refreshing on a child. I also really like Susannah. The rest don’t really do anything for me and accent its datedness.
Dad’s cousin, you got that one right! But she IS a beautiful woman with a great spirit and amazing talents. It doesn’t feel as dated as other names from that era, probably for the reasons listed (sound-wise: the U, the ends in ‘n’).
My youngest sister’s name is Susan (born in 1987), and I think she’s only known one other Susan her age. For me, the name works well on any age – maybe because I grew up with a Sue/Susan!. It feels very fresh to me.