I saw mention of it not being popular because of the pancake brand on a name website and I asked my close friend who lives here. She told me about the racist connections and she remembers it being as a racial slur quite a bit in the 80s. Checked on US name forum and wikipedia and yes, there is quite a strong link to it being used to describe someone as a slave who panders to white people and it being used as a racist slur. *sigh*

I can't stop thinking of cute Jemima Puddle Duck! And the lovely little Jemima on Playschool.