Jennnifer
A feminine name of English origin meaning "white wave".
Name Census estimates that about 35 living Americans carry the first name Jennnifer. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jennnifer today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jennnifer births was 1982 (8 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jennnifer. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jennnifer. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
35
~ 1 in 9,792,981 Americans
Peak year
1982
8 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1986 SSA rank
#11,664
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Jennnifer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jennnifer from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 21 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jennnifer by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jennnifer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jennnifer
The name Jennifer originated from the Cornish form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, stemming from the Celtic words "gwen" meaning fair or white, and "hwyfar" meaning smooth or soft. It is the Cornish variation of the name Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur in Arthurian legend.
The name first appeared in written form in the 16th century, with records showing a Jennifer Mensalt being baptized in Glasgow, Scotland in 1538. Over the next few centuries, the name remained relatively rare, with only a handful of recorded instances across Britain.
One of the earliest notable bearers of the name was Jennifer Vavasor, an English noblewoman born around 1600. She was the daughter of Sir Thomas Vavasor and was known for her involvement in the English Civil War, supporting the Royalist cause.
In the 18th century, the name gained some popularity among the Welsh gentry, with Jennifer Jones, born in 1715, being one of the most well-known figures of the time. She was a prominent landowner and philanthropist in Denbighshire, Wales.
As the name spread across Britain and beyond, it gained wider recognition in the 19th century. Jennifer Lind, a Swedish opera singer born in 1820, was one of the most famous bearers of the name during this period, renowned for her performances across Europe and the United States.
Another notable Jennifer from the 19th century was Jennifer Wilkinson, born in 1848 in England. She was a pioneering educator and women's rights activist, advocating for equal educational opportunities for girls and women.
In the 20th century, the name experienced a surge in popularity, with several high-profile figures bearing the name. Jennifer Jones, an American actress born in 1919, was a prominent figure in Hollywood's Golden Age, winning an Academy Award for Best Actress in 1943.
People
Jennnifer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jennnifer as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jennnifer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jennnifer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 35 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jennnifer going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 9,792,981 US residents.
Is Jennnifer a common name?
We classify Jennnifer as "Very Rare". It ranks above 48.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 38 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jennnifer most popular?
The single biggest year for Jennnifer was 1982, when 8 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jennnifer is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jennnifer in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jennnifer a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jennnifer in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jennnifer still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jennnifer in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jennnifer can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Jennnifer?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Jennnifer, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.