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Brandy (given name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Brandy
American actress and singer Brandy Norwood, born 1979, is a well-known bearer of the name.
Pronunciation/ˈbrændi/ BRAN-dee
GenderUnisex; primarily feminine
Origin
Word/nameEnglish
Other names
Related namesBrandon, Brandi, Brandie

Brandy is a given name sometimes given in reference to the alcoholic beverage or used as a feminine form of Brandon.[1] It is also an English surname likely derived from the Germanic word element brand, meaning sword. Related surnames with the same meaning are the Italian Brandi and Brando. Usage of the name as a first name for boys has likely been a transferred use of the surname. Census records show that Brandy was in use as a masculine name in the United States, primarily for Black men, in the mid 19th century. Brandy was occasionally used as a hypocorism for women and girls for various names such as Brandina, Brenda, or Maranda, but was not widely used as a formal name for girls until the 1940s. Usage for girls might have been inspired by usage of the name Sherry, also the name of an alcoholic beverage, for girls in the 1940s. Further usage was inspired by use of the name for film characters: the attractive con woman character Brandy Kirby played by Lizabeth Scott in the 1951 film Two of a Kind, the saloon girl Brandy played by Mari Blanchard in the 1954 western Destry, and Brandy de la Court, played by Michele Girardon in the 1962 film Hatari! Spelling variant Brandi first appeared among the 1,000 most popular names for American girls in 1966. Brandy also appeared among the top 1,000 names in 1967. The name came into greater use in the Anglosphere following the release of the hit 1972 song Brandy (You're a Fine Girl) by Looking Glass. The name peaked in usage in 1978 in the United States when it was the 37th most popular name for American girls. It has since declined in usage. Spelling variants include Brandee, Brandi, Brandie, and Brandye.[2]

Women named Brande

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Women named Brandie

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Women named Brandy

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Women nicknamed Brandy

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Men named Brandy

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  • Brandy Peter (born 1991), Papua New Guinean professional rugby league footballer

Men nicknamed Brandy

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Fictional characters

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See also

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  • Brandi, a given name or surname

References

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  1. ^ Hanks, Patrick; Hardcastle, Kate; Hodges, Flavia (2006). Oxford Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press. p. 37. ISBN 0-19-861060-2.
  2. ^ Evans, Cleveland Kent (11 February 2024). "Cleveland Evans: Brandy's fame hasn't translated to name's popularity". omaha.com. Omaha World Herald. Retrieved 11 February 2024.