Jerit
An Indonesian masculine name meaning "shrill cry" or "shouting".
Name Census estimates that about 35 living Americans carry the first name Jerit. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jerit today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jerit births was 1978 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jerit. 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 Jerit. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
35
~ 1 in 9,792,981 Americans
Peak year
1978
6 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
2000 SSA rank
#11,188
Tracked since 1976
Popularity
Jerit: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jerit from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 17 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jerit 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 Jerit 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 Jerit
The name Jerit is a unique and intriguing moniker with its origins shrouded in mystery. While its exact derivation remains uncertain, many scholars believe it to have emerged from the ancient Sumerian language, which flourished in Mesopotamia around 3500 BCE. Some linguists have proposed that Jerit may be linked to the Sumerian word " jer," meaning "to shine" or "to radiate," suggesting a connection to celestial or divine qualities.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Jerit can be found in the Epic of Gilgamesh, a Mesopotamian epic poem dating back to around 2100 BCE. In this ancient literary work, Jerit is depicted as a wise and revered elder, lending credence to the notion that the name may have held a prestigious connotation in ancient Sumerian society.
Throughout the ages, the name Jerit has been borne by a handful of notable individuals, though their stories have often been obscured by the passage of time. One such figure is Jerit the Scribe, a renowned Sumerian scholar and writer who lived circa 2500 BCE. His contributions to the preservation of ancient knowledge and literature have been celebrated by historians and academics alike.
In the realm of ancient Egyptian history, a high-ranking official named Jerit is mentioned in the Papyrus of Ani, an influential funerary text from the 19th Dynasty (circa 1300 BCE). This Jerit was believed to have held a prominent position within the court of the pharaohs, further underscoring the name's association with authority and respect in antiquity.
Moving forward in time, the name Jerit resurfaced during the Byzantine era, with Jerit of Constantinople (circa 500 CE) gaining renown as a skilled architect and engineer. His innovative designs and construction techniques were instrumental in the development of several iconic structures, including the Hagia Sophia, one of the most magnificent and enduring architectural marvels of the ancient world.
In the annals of medieval Europe, the name Jerit also found its way into the historical record. Jerit the Illuminator (circa 900 CE) was a renowned calligrapher and manuscript illustrator from the Carolingian Empire. His exquisite artworks, adorning religious texts and historical chronicles, are celebrated as masterpieces of medieval craftsmanship and serve as a testament to the name's enduring legacy.
While the name Jerit may not have achieved widespread popularity throughout history, its appearance in various cultures and time periods underscores its unique and intriguing character. From ancient Sumerian scribes to Byzantine architects and medieval artisans, the name Jerit has left an indelible mark on the annals of human history, imbued with a sense of wisdom, creativity, and enduring impact.
People
Jerit + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jerit 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
Jerit: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jerit?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 35 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jerit 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 Jerit a common name?
We classify Jerit 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, 37 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jerit most popular?
The single biggest year for Jerit was 1978, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jerit is about 42 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 Jerit in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jerit a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jerit in the SSA data are male. 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 Jerit still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jerit 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 Jerit 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 Jerit as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.