Fun Facts About the Name Jennifer
- Decades of popularity: Jennifer stayed in the U.S. top 100 for 53 consecutive years, from 1956 through 2008.
- More than 1 million babies named Jennifer: U.S. records list 1,476,529 babies given the name Jennifer from 1880 through 2025. Even 4,837 boys received the name Jennifer - about 1 boy for every 304 girls.
What Does the Name Jennifer Mean?
Jennifer is the English form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, the name of King Arthur's queen in Arthurian legend. The Welsh name is usually divided into two elements. The first is gwen, meaning "white," "fair," or "blessed." The second, hwyfar, is less certain: it is sometimes explained as "smooth" or "soft," and sometimes linked to a word for a phantom, spirit, or fairy. Those parts produce the common interpretations "white phantom" and "the fair one." Because the second element is disputed, the precise sense of the whole name is not settled.
Jennifer Name History & Origins
Gwenhwyfar is the wife of Arthur in medieval Welsh tradition, and she appears in Geoffrey of Monmouth's Latin Historia Regum Britanniae (around 1136) under the form Guanhumara. Through French and English Arthurian romances this figure became Guinevere. In Cornwall, a related form of the same name developed as Gwynnever and Gwenifer, and it is from that Cornish tradition that the English name Jennifer comes.
Forms such as Jennifer are found in Cornwall by the 16th century, and for a long period the name stayed largely local to that region. It spread more widely in the English-speaking world during the 19th and 20th centuries, and by the middle of the 20th century it was familiar in both Britain and the United States. The resemblance between Jennifer and Guinevere is not accidental: both come from the same Welsh original, one carried through Cornish and the other through French romance.
How Popular is the Name Jennifer?
Jennifer remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1956 to 2008. Its highest annual birth count was in 1972, and people born that year turn 54 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #586 | 501 | 0.0312% |
| 2024 | #547 | 552 | 0.0342% |
| 2023 | #521 | 584 | 0.0364% |
| 2022 | #501 | 630 | 0.0384% |
| 2021 | #494 | 638 | 0.0389% |
| 2020 | #431 | 712 | 0.0441% |
| 2019 | #391 | 788 | 0.0470% |
| 2018 | #344 | 921 | 0.0542% |
| 2017 | #309 | 1,052 | 0.0610% |
| 2016 | #272 | 1,162 | 0.0656% |
| 2015 | #251 | 1,286 | 0.0721% |
| 2014 | #222 | 1,521 | 0.0852% |
| 2013 | #192 | 1,692 | 0.0964% |
| 2012 | #164 | 1,927 | 0.1094% |
| 2011 | #134 | 2,280 | 0.1296% |
| 2010 | #121 | 2,622 | 0.1475% |
| 2009 | #109 | 2,987 | 0.1626% |
| 2008 | #84 | 3,797 | 0.2008% |
| 2007 | #64 | 4,653 | 0.2420% |
| 2006 | #51 | 5,268 | 0.2771% |
| 2005 | #42 | 5,837 | 0.3159% |
| 2004 | #39 | 6,545 | 0.3565% |
| 2003 | #31 | 7,568 | 0.4142% |
| 2002 | #28 | 8,540 | 0.4753% |
| 2001 | #26 | 8,921 | 0.4955% |
| 2000 | #26 | 9,390 | 0.5171% |
| 1999 | #21 | 10,615 | 0.5984% |
| 1998 | #20 | 10,692 | 0.6051% |
| 1997 | #18 | 11,840 | 0.6802% |
| 1996 | #19 | 11,729 | 0.6691% |
| 1995 | #18 | 12,683 | 0.7212% |
| 1994 | #17 | 14,001 | 0.7841% |
| 1993 | #15 | 15,748 | 0.8705% |
| 1992 | #11 | 17,819 | 0.9664% |
| 1991 | #8 | 20,673 | 1.1026% |
| 1990 | #8 | 22,236 | 1.1712% |
| 1989 | #7 | 24,004 | 1.3021% |
| 1988 | #5 | 27,893 | 1.5663% |
| 1987 | #4 | 32,708 | 1.8813% |
| 1986 | #4 | 36,189 | 2.1095% |
| 1985 | #3 | 42,660 | 2.4790% |
| 1984 | #1 | 50,563 | 3.0029% |
| 1983 | #1 | 54,355 | 3.2535% |
| 1982 | #1 | 57,118 | 3.3731% |
| 1981 | #1 | 57,048 | 3.4200% |
| 1980 | #1 | 58,378 | 3.5159% |
| 1979 | #1 | 56,716 | 3.5330% |
| 1978 | #1 | 56,318 | 3.6764% |
| 1977 | #1 | 58,964 | 3.8459% |
| 1976 | #1 | 59,472 | 4.0591% |
| 1975 | #1 | 58,187 | 3.9911% |
| 1974 | #1 | 63,106 | 4.3001% |
| 1973 | #1 | 62,447 | 4.2824% |
| 1972 | #1 | 63,602 | 4.1809% |
| 1971 | #1 | 56,771 | 3.4121% |
| 1970 | #1 | 46,150 | 2.6399% |
| 1969 | #3 | 33,704 | 1.9978% |
| 1968 | #4 | 26,851 | 1.6369% |
| 1967 | #10 | 18,238 | 1.1046% |
| 1966 | #10 | 18,215 | 1.0764% |
| 1965 | #20 | 15,206 | 0.8615% |
| 1964 | #31 | 12,956 | 0.6837% |
| 1963 | #36 | 11,759 | 0.6101% |
| 1962 | #41 | 10,977 | 0.5582% |
| 1961 | #47 | 9,266 | 0.4591% |
| 1960 | #61 | 7,242 | 0.3582% |
| 1959 | #78 | 6,232 | 0.3080% |
| 1958 | #81 | 5,881 | 0.2924% |
| 1957 | #87 | 5,485 | 0.2682% |
| 1956 | #97 | 4,710 | 0.2346% |
| 1955 | #104 | 4,123 | 0.2109% |
| 1954 | #108 | 3,966 | 0.2042% |
| 1953 | #116 | 3,375 | 0.1794% |
| 1952 | #107 | 3,526 | 0.1901% |
| 1951 | #119 | 2,974 | 0.1651% |
| 1950 | #118 | 2,802 | 0.1636% |
| 1949 | #121 | 2,618 | 0.1530% |
| 1948 | #151 | 1,882 | 0.1108% |
| 1947 | #145 | 2,010 | 0.1134% |
| 1946 | #156 | 1,733 | 0.1103% |
| 1945 | #200 | 985 | 0.0754% |
| 1944 | #263 | 684 | 0.0515% |
| 1943 | #397 | 337 | 0.0242% |
| 1942 | #527 | 198 | 0.0147% |
| 1941 | #605 | 136 | 0.0113% |
| 1940 | #689 | 102 | 0.0089% |
| 1939 | #893 | 62 | 0.0057% |
| 1938 | #997 | 51 | 0.0046% |
| 1937 | #1,167 | 38 | 0.0036% |
| 1936 | #1,091 | 42 | 0.0040% |
| 1935 | #1,190 | 36 | 0.0034% |
| 1934 | #1,112 | 41 | 0.0039% |
| 1933 | #1,323 | 30 | 0.0030% |
| 1932 | #1,543 | 25 | 0.0023% |
| 1931 | #1,472 | 26 | 0.0024% |
| 1930 | #2,063 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1929 | #2,050 | 17 | 0.0015% |
| 1928 | #3,958 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1927 | #5,186 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1926 | #3,395 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1925 | #3,506 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1924 | #3,061 | 11 | 0.0009% |
| 1923 | #3,496 | 9 | 0.0007% |
| 1922 | #4,219 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #5,491 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1920 | #4,172 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1919 | #4,507 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | #11,333 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2014 | #11,349 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2012 | #13,115 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2011 | #11,472 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2010 | #11,384 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2009 | #13,338 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2008 | #5,904 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 2007 | #10,278 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 2006 | #5,178 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #5,413 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2004 | #3,932 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2003 | #4,516 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2002 | #3,301 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2001 | #3,363 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 2000 | #2,837 | 32 | 0.0016% |
| 1999 | #2,976 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1998 | #3,050 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1997 | #2,285 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 1996 | #2,315 | 35 | 0.0018% |
| 1995 | #1,659 | 55 | 0.0029% |
| 1994 | #1,912 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 1993 | #1,728 | 50 | 0.0025% |
| 1992 | #1,534 | 58 | 0.0029% |
| 1991 | #1,405 | 66 | 0.0033% |
| 1990 | #1,168 | 87 | 0.0042% |
| 1989 | #821 | 146 | 0.0073% |
| 1988 | #898 | 114 | 0.0060% |
| 1987 | #882 | 113 | 0.0061% |
| 1986 | #707 | 163 | 0.0089% |
| 1985 | #694 | 161 | 0.0087% |
| 1984 | #594 | 204 | 0.0113% |
| 1983 | #612 | 196 | 0.0109% |
| 1982 | #638 | 183 | 0.0101% |
| 1981 | #615 | 192 | 0.0107% |
| 1980 | #599 | 211 | 0.0118% |
| 1979 | #597 | 205 | 0.0119% |
| 1978 | #591 | 203 | 0.0124% |
| 1977 | #631 | 179 | 0.0109% |
| 1976 | #573 | 200 | 0.0127% |
| 1975 | #535 | 225 | 0.0144% |
| 1974 | #585 | 185 | 0.0118% |
| 1973 | #530 | 220 | 0.0141% |
| 1972 | #578 | 190 | 0.0117% |
| 1971 | #593 | 194 | 0.0110% |
| 1970 | #755 | 119 | 0.0064% |
| 1969 | #779 | 98 | 0.0055% |
| 1968 | #888 | 66 | 0.0038% |
| 1967 | #881 | 67 | 0.0038% |
| 1966 | #1,011 | 52 | 0.0029% |
| 1965 | #1,326 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 1964 | #1,361 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1963 | #1,608 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1962 | #1,644 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1961 | #1,448 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 1960 | #2,366 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1959 | #2,725 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1958 | #2,314 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1957 | #2,431 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1956 | #3,078 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #2,659 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1953 | #3,029 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1952 | #3,545 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1951 | #2,760 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1950 | #2,891 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1946 | #3,344 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
