Come with me down a rabbit hole, won’t you?
The most popular name for baby girls in the United States from 1970 until 1984 was Jennifer. In 1985, Jessica surpassed Jennifer and stayed the top name until 1990.
What could have caused the change? Murder, She Wrote, in which Angela Lansbury played Jessica Fletcher, premiered on September 30, 1984, on CBS.
Did the one cause the other? Maybe! Maybe not! I think it did.
Today is Angela Lansbury’s 90th birthday. If your name is Jessica and you are between the ages of 25 and 30, you should thank her.
Unless you hate your name, in which case you should blame her. But it’s her birthday, so keep it to yourself.