Yesenia

The chart below is a perfect lesson on how pop-culture can drastically influence the usage of a name. Yesenia first appeared on the U.S. charts in 1971 which was the same year the film “Yesenia” was released to enthusiastic romantics everywhere. Not only that, but Yesenia debuted on the American female Top 1000 list at position #410 her first year ever on the charts. That’s impressively high for a first-timer! Obviously the Mexican film had everything to do with Yesenia’s abrupt popularity in the United States. The name saw another big push up the charts in 1987 (thanks to the telenovela) when Yesenia hit #137 on the Top 1000 (the best year ever). Since Yesenia was a name restricted to Hispanic-Americans (rather than the U.S. population at large), we cannot underscore how remarkable these numbers are. Yesenia was often on the Top 100 lists in states that have the highest concentration of Hispanic-Americans per capita: New Mexico, California, Texas, Arizona, Nevada, Florida, New York and Illinois. Because Yesenia’s success as a female name in the U.S. is largely a factor of pop-culture influences, it’s no surprise the name’s popularity has diminished today. Since the turn of the 21st century, Yesenia’s usage has dropped like rocks. Perhaps it’s time for yet another revival of both the telenovela and the name. It’s simply too lovely to be forgotten.