# Women's first names in song **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 17, 2009, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776 "2009-08-17T20:12:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/61 "2009-08-18T15:19:32Z")
(Auntie) Griselda - Monkees Jennifer (Juniper) - Donovan (Oh!) Susanna - traditional ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/62 "2009-08-18T15:21:01Z")
I see that “Dinah” has been mentioned, but Boz Scaggs has a tune titled and dedicated to “Dinah Flo”. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/63 "2009-08-18T16:00:28Z")
Kathleen - Randy Newman ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/64 "2009-08-18T16:06:38Z")
Beth - Kiss ---
**Author:** ![Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/bc8723/32.png) [@Unauthorized\_Cinnamon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Unauthorized_Cinnamon)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/65 "2009-08-18T16:12:21Z")
Christine - Siouxsie and the Banshees It sucks to have a song about your name, and it’s totally unflattering. It’s like, “Yay, a song about me - oh, it’s about someone with multiple personality disorder. Shucks.” My mom had the same experience with “Veronica.” ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/66 "2009-08-18T16:18:16Z")
Trying to think of some really weird ones: Cymbaline (from the Pink Floyd song of the same name) – although it’s not clear that this is a woman. The Shakespeare play “Cymbeline” is about a king. Boney Maronie (Ritchie Valens) (“I got a gal named Boney Maronie…”) Be-Bop-a-Lula (Gene Vincent) Little White Dove (from “Running Bear”, by Johnny Preston) Flat Foot Floogie (probably doesn’t qualify, because not a name exactly) Arabella (“Little Arabella” by the Nice) Minnie (the Moocher) – Cab Calloway Mama Cass (from “Creeque Alley” by the Mamas & the Papas) Alberta (Doc Watson) Saffron, Fourteen (“Mellow Yellow” by Donovan) I bet there’s a lot of strange women’s names in Gibert & Sullivan… ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/67 "2009-08-18T16:32:07Z")
A few more (missed edit window): Mattie, Hattie (“Woolly Bully” by Sam the Sham) Clarabella (on “Beatles at the BBC”; don’t know who did it originally) (Lawdy Miss) Clawdy (Little Latin) Lupe Lu ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/68 "2009-08-18T16:54:25Z")
Oh, and how about (Sweet) Leilani? OK, I’ll go now… ---
**Author:** ![Gordon\_Urquhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/db5fbb/32.png) [@Gordon\_Urquhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gordon_Urquhart)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/69 "2009-08-18T17:06:15Z")
_Ruby_ by Kaiser Chiefs _Dorina_ by Dada ---
**Author:** ![Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de053/32.png) [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackknifed_Juggernaut)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/70 "2009-08-18T17:59:52Z")
Some more: Elise - The Cure (A Letter to Elise) Lola - Barry Manilow (Copacabana) Carol - Run DMC (It’s Tricky) Kelly - Woody’s song for his girlfriend on Cheers: [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hJjx7jTHA8](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8hJjx7jTHA8) ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/71 "2009-08-18T18:33:58Z")
> [@Jackknifed\_Juggernaut](#): > > Kelly - Woody’s song for his girlfriend on Cheers In that case, I’m going to say “Smelly Cat” was a female (is it?)! 😛 _Marie Leveau_ - Bobby Bare (I searched but didn’t see it). ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/72 "2009-08-18T18:36:34Z")
OK, a couple more: Sloopy (McCoys) Diggy Liggy Lo (Doug Kershaw) ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/73 "2009-08-18T20:40:46Z")
(A Girl Named) Johnny Cash (by Martin Mull; sung by Jane Morgan) Lalena (Donovan) ---
**Author:** ![dada2fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ccd318/32.png) [@dada2fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dada2fish)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2009, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/74 "2009-08-18T20:48:22Z")
Two by Bowie: Letter to Hermoine Janine ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/75 "2009-08-19T03:18:20Z")
Just thought of three more: _Help Me **Rhonda** _ - The Beach Boys _Copacabana_ ( **Lola** ) - Barry Manilow _ **Barbara** Allen_ - British Isles folk standard ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/76 "2009-08-19T15:56:54Z")
Lucretia-Megadeth Carry Me Carrie- Dr. Hook Maria-Willie Nelson Bernadette-Paul Simon Cecelia-Simon and Garfunkel Amphetamine-Everclear (her name was Amy but “they used to call her Amphetamine”) Corrina Corrina -Steppenwolf Jolene–Bob Dylan Jackie O-John Mellencamp Laura (I have a Spike Jones recording of this song, but I don’t know if it’s his song) Al and Yetta-Alan Sherman Melanei-Weird Al Yankovic Airline Amy-Weird Al Yankovic Medusa -Anthrax (does she count as a woman? Half a woman?) Charlotte the Harlot-Iron Maiden Big Leg Emma-Frank Zappa/Mothers Jack Straw-Grateful Dead–is the ‘Shannon’ referred to in that song a woman? Also, someone else mentiioned ‘Bertha’ by the dead, although that song is supposedly not really about a woman–I read an article somewhere in which it was mentioned that Bertha was the name they had given to an enormous fan in their office) Lily, rosemary and the Jack of Hearts-Bob Dylan Isis-Bob Dylan Vera-Pink Floyd Marie Leveau-Dr. Hook ---
**Author:** ![cjepson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a9adbd/32.png) [@cjepson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cjepson)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/77 "2009-08-19T16:02:08Z")
Dion name-checks Zsa Zsa Gabor in “Donna (The Prima Donna)”. Dylan name-checks Alicia Keys in “Thunder on the Mountain”. Lambert, Hendricks & Ross name-check Lana Turner, Rita Hayworth, Brigitte Bardot, and Lucille Ball in “Gimme That Wine”. ---
**Author:** ![yoyodyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/a9a28c/32.png) [@yoyodyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yoyodyne)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/78 "2009-08-19T16:44:10Z")
Peg - Steely Dan ---
**Author:** ![batsto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b2d939/32.png) [@batsto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/batsto)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/79 "2009-08-19T17:04:37Z")
The Who-‘Sally Simpson’ is playing in my office right now. Queensryche-‘Suite Sister Mary’ is another one I forgot. ---
**Author:** ![3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/3/47e85d/32.png) [@3\_20\_59\_or\_bust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/3_20_59_or_bust)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2009, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/womens-first-names-in-song/506776/80 "2009-08-19T22:08:41Z")
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