Mitzi is the Austrian-German diminutive of Maria — from the Hebrew *Miryam* ("beloved, bitter, star of the sea"). **A top-500 US baby name in the mid-20th century, riding the popularity of Mitzi Gaynor**. **Mitzi Gaynor (1931-2024)** — **American actress, singer, and dancer; played Ensign Nellie Forbush in the 1958 film adaptation of Rodgers and Hammerstein's *South Pacific* — the role earned her the Golden Globe nomination for Best Actress in a Comedy or Musical and made the film one of the highest-grossing musicals of its era**; *There's No Business Like Show Business* (1954), *Les Girls* (1957). **Best known later as the star of nine highly-rated NBC television specials (1968-1978), which made her one of the most-watched variety performers of the era**. **Mitzi Shore (1930-2018)** — owner of The Comedy Store in Los Angeles (1973-2018), the legendary stand-up club that launched the careers of Robin Williams, David Letterman, Jay Leno, Richie Pryor, Andrew Dice Clay, Yakov Smirnoff, and Garry Shandling; her son Pauly Shore is the actor-comedian. **Mitzi Bond** — American politician. **Mitzi Cunliffe** (1918-2006) — American-British sculptor; designed the BAFTA mask award. **Mitzi Hoag** — American actress. **Mitzi** as an endearment also features in numerous Austrian operettas including Lehár's *The Merry Widow* spinoffs.
Featured throughout 20th-century Hollywood and American comedy.
Mitzi reduces to six — the number of South Pacific.