Jonell
A feminine name possibly derived from a combination of Joan and Nell.
Name Census estimates that about 1,721 living Americans carry the first name Jonell. It is a predominantly female name (91.6% of registrations). The average person named Jonell today is around 55 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jonell births was 1953 (58 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jonell. 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.
People living today
1.7K
~ 1 in 199,160 Americans
Peak year
1953
58 babies that year
Average age
55
years old
2022 SSA rank
#13,226
Tracked since 1918
Census
Jonell in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,175 people with the first name Jonell, which placed it at #7,105 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#7,105
National first-name rank
People counted
2.2K
2,175 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.7
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
62.7% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jonell
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Jonell is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Hispanic (7.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Jonell described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Jonell at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White62.7% · 1,364
- Black or African American21.5% · 467
- Hispanic or Latino7.7% · 168
- Two or more races3.4% · 74
- Asian and Pacific Islander2.9% · 64
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.7% · 38
Gender
Gender distribution for Jonell
Jonell leans heavily female at 91.6% of total registrations, but 224 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Jonell as a male name
- Ranked #13,226 in 2022
- 5 male births in 2022
- Peak: 1994 (11 births)
Jonell as a female name
- Ranked #17,440 in 2016
- 5 female births in 2016
- Peak: 1953 (58 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Jonell leans strongly female. 1,926 people counted with this name were female (88.3%), compared with 254 male bearers (11.7%).
Popularity
Jonell: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jonell from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 453 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jonell 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 Jonell during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jonells live
The SSA's state-level files cover 14 states and territories. Texas, Kentucky, California recorded the most babies named Jonell, while Washington, Oklahoma, North Dakota recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 41 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jonell
The given name Jonell is a relatively modern invention, likely derived from a combination of the more common names John and Nell. Its precise origins are somewhat obscure, but it appears to have emerged as a distinct name in the early 20th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jonell comes from the United States. Jonell Allen was born in 1917 and became a respected civil rights activist, working closely with organizations like the NAACP to combat racial injustice. Her efforts were particularly influential in the state of California, where she dedicated her life to promoting equality and social progress.
In the realm of entertainment, Jonell Aysiah Nasir is a notable figure born in 1993. She is an American actress and singer, best known for her role as Hanna Thompson in the television series Empire. Jonell's performances have garnered critical acclaim, showcasing her talent and versatility in the world of acting and music.
Moving to the world of literature, Jonell Kirsten Buchholz is an American author born in 1953. She is renowned for her works of children's fiction, including the highly acclaimed "Magic School Bus" series, which has captivated young readers worldwide with its engaging stories and educational content.
In the field of sports, Jonell Radway is a former professional basketball player from the United States. Born in 1980, she played in the WNBA for teams such as the Phoenix Mercury and the Seattle Storm, making a significant impact in the league with her skills and dedication to the game.
Another notable figure with the name Jonell is Jonell Rowe, an American artist and sculptor born in 1946. Her work has been widely exhibited and celebrated for its unique style and exploration of various materials, including bronze, steel, and glass. Rowe's sculptures have adorned public spaces and private collections, contributing to the artistic landscape of the nation.
While the name Jonell may not have a long and storied history like some more ancient names, its relatively recent emergence has not diminished its significance. These individuals and their accomplishments demonstrate the diversity and impact that those bearing the name Jonell have had across various fields and disciplines.
People
Jonell + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jonell 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
Jonell: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jonell?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,721 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jonell 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 199,160 US residents.
Is Jonell a common name?
We classify Jonell as "Rare". It ranks above 93.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,676 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jonell most popular?
The single biggest year for Jonell was 1953, when 58 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jonell is about 55 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Jonell in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 2,175 people with the name Jonell, or 0.72 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #7,105 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Jonell in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Jonell?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Jonell leans strongly female. 1,926 people counted with this name were female (88.3%), compared with 254 male bearers (11.7%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Jonell?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Jonell is White at 62.7%. The next largest groups are Black (21.5%) and Hispanic (7.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Jonell most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Jonell in the 2020 Census, accounting for 62.7% (1,364 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Jonell in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jonell a female name?
Yes, 91.6% of people registered as Jonell 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 Jonell still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jonell 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 Jonell 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.
How many people are named Jonell?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.