Tootie from The Facts of Life

Was this Tootie based on the character from The Facts of Life (1979)? They have the same name and the same characteristics:

1. Pigtails
2. School Uniform
3. Braces
4. Talks a lot
5. Could be an annoying pest, but very sweet
6. There was an episode where Tootie had a really bad obsession with Jermaine Jackson.