In 1931, according to Judy Garland lore, she and her sisters were mistakenly billed as “The Glum Sisters” by a theater where they were performing, per the Encyclopedia of World Biography. At the time, these were adorable, smiling children — the last thing they wanted to be called was “glum.” The last name Garland was suggested by the comedian George Jessel, according to the Judy Garland Museum — “Garland” perhaps came from a theater critic of the day. By the time the three sisters appeared at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1934, they were the “Garland Sisters,” per Good Housekeeping.
Frances, as the youngest Garland sister, ran into another issue. She had been largely billed during their performances as “Baby Gumm,” but as she grew into a young teenager, the nickname was getting a bit ridiculous. She shed “Baby” and “Frances” at the same time, becoming “Judy” after the Hoagy Carmichael song of the same name (per Britannica). With lyrics like “If her voice can bring / Every hope of the spring / That’s Judy, my Judy,” it was a fitting choice for the star singer.
