Jennifer Name Meaning

The name Jennifer is generally understood to mean “fair one” or “white wave”. The fair one meaning is associated with the Welsh name Guinevere, while the white wave meaning is associated with the idea of a white, surging wave, symbolizing purity and beauty.

Origins of the Name Jennifer

Jennifer is a name of Welsh origin and means “fair one” or “white wave”. The name has been in use in England since the late 19th century but gained popularity in the 20th century. It reached its peak of popularity in the US in the 1970s and 1980s, ranking as one of the top 10 names for girls during that time.

Popularity of the Name Jennifer

Jennifer was a popular name in the 20th century, reaching its peak in the US in the 1970s and 1980s. During this time, it was one of the top 10 names for girls, ranking as high as number one in some years. While its popularity has waned in recent years, it remains a classic and timeless name for girls.

Final Thoughts on the Name Jennifer

In conclusion, Jennifer is a beautiful name with a rich history and meaning. Whether you’re a “fair one” or a “white wave”, this timeless name will always be a classic choice for your little girl. So, if you’re expecting a girl and looking for a name with a bit of history, meaning, and a whole lot of popularity, you can’t go wrong with Jennifer!

Infographic of Jennifer name meaning, which is An English form of Guinevere, Jennifer means fair magical being.
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Jennifer Name Popularity

How popular is the name Jennifer? Here’s everything we know.

Year Rank # Births % Births
1910 0 0%
1911 0 0%
1912 0 0%
1913 0 0%
1914 0 0%
1915 0 0%
1916 0 0%
1917 0 0%
1918 0 0%
1919 0 0%
1920 0 0%
1921 0 0%
1922 0 0%
1923 0 0%
1924 0 0%
1925 0 0%
1926 0 0%
1927 0 0%
1928 0 0%
1929 0 0%
1930 0 0%
1931 0 0%
1932 1,375 6 0.0006%
1933 1,582 5 0.0005%
1934 1,225 10 0.001%
1935 0 0%
1936 1,447 5 0.0005%
1937 1,106 14 0.0014%
1938 1,227 10 0.001%
1939 887 26 0.0026%
1940 756 46 0.0043%
1941 616 87 0.0077%
1942 523 154 0.0122%
1943 404 283 0.0217%
1944 263 652 0.0526%
1945 200 953 0.0781%
1946 156 1,711 0.116%
1947 145 2,003 0.12%
1948 151 1,865 0.1168%
1949 120 2,618 0.1627%
1950 118 2,792 0.1734%
1951 119 2,969 0.1751%
1952 107 3,527 0.2021%
1953 117 3,360 0.1898%
1954 107 3,966 0.217%
1955 104 4,125 0.2243%
1956 97 4,707 0.2492%
1957 87 5,477 0.2846%
1958 81 5,877 0.311%
1959 78 6,234 0.3281%
1960 61 7,245 0.3824%
1961 47 9,262 0.4906%
1962 41 10,981 0.5981%
1963 36 11,757 0.655%
1964 31 12,958 0.7362%
1965 20 15,208 0.93%
1966 10 18,213 1.1665%
1967 10 18,235 1.2016%
1968 4 26,851 1.7882%
1969 3 33,701 2.1875%
1970 1 46,157 2.9004%
1971 1 56,784 3.7788%
1972 1 63,604 4.6699%
1973 1 62,451 4.8172%
1974 1 63,112 4.8557%
1975 1 58,185 4.5279%
1976 1 59,474 4.6146%
1977 1 58,964 4.3744%
1978 1 56,323 4.1893%
1979 1 56,718 4.0225%
1980 1 58,376 3.9925%
1981 1 57,049 3.881%
1982 1 57,115 3.8221%
1983 1 54,342 3.6825%
1984 1 50,561 3.3989%
1985 3 42,650 2.8099%
1986 4 36,184 2.3971%
1987 4 32,700 2.1428%
1988 5 27,887 1.7895%
1989 7 23,995 1.487%
1990 8 22,226 1.341%
1991 8 20,672 1.2683%
1992 11 17,819 1.1164%
1993 15 15,748 1.0101%
1994 17 14,000 0.9123%
1995 18 12,686 0.8417%
1996 19 11,728 0.7833%
1997 18 11,838 0.8004%
1998 20 10,689 0.7142%
1999 21 10,609 0.7084%
2000 26 9,382 0.6142%
2001 26 8,923 0.5922%
2002 28 8,537 0.5697%
2003 31 7,559 0.4969%
2004 39 6,527 0.4282%
2005 42 5,825 0.381%
2006 51 5,255 0.3356%
2007 64 4,632 0.2936%
2008 84 3,776 0.2443%
2009 110 2,972 0.1988%
2010 121 2,596 0.1801%
2011 134 2,260 0.1586%
2012 162 1,910 0.134%
2013 189 1,673 0.1175%
2014 216 1,506 0.1034%
2015 245 1,255 0.0863%
2016 266 1,126 0.0781%
2017 302 1,015 0.0727%
2018 333 882 0.0642%
2019 375 752 0.0555%
2020 425 665 0.0522%
2021 500 545 0.0446%
2022 507 581 0.044%

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Hawaii (HI)

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Idaho (ID)

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Kentucky (KY)

Louisiana (LA)

Massachusetts (MA)

Maryland (MD)

Maine (ME)

Michigan (MI)

Minnesota (MN)

Missouri (MO)

Mississippi (MS)

Montana (MT)

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North Dakota (ND)

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New Hampshire (NH)

New Jersey (NJ)

New Mexico (NM)

Nevada (NV)

New York (NY)

Ohio (OH)

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West Virginia (WV)

Wyoming (WY)

Data via SSA.gov.


Names Like Jennifer

If you like Jennifer, you’ll love these other names like Jennifer.


What names are variants of Jennifer?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Jennifer.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Geniffer

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh

Genna

English

Genni

Fair one

Welsh

Gennie

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh

Gennifer

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh

Gennivre

Fair one

Welsh

Genny

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh

Jen

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh

Jena

Endurance; little bird

Indian (Sanskrit)

Jenefer

Fair one

Welsh

Jeni

Fair one; white and smooth, soft; God is gracious

Welsh

Jenifer

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh

Jeniffer

Fair one

Welsh

Jenn

Fair one

Welsh

Jenna

Fair magical being

English

Jennee

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh

Jenni

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh

Jennica

Fair one

Welsh

Jennie

A variant spelling of Jenny.

English

Jenniver

Fair one

Welsh

Jenny

“The gracious gift of God.” A diminutive form of Joanna.

English


What names sound like Jennifer?

If you like how Jennifer sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Jennifer.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Geniver

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh

Janifer

Fair one; white and smooth, soft

Welsh


What names are similar to Jennifer?

Find a name that’s like Jennifer, but just a little bit different.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Jenessa

Lists With Jennifer

Find inspiration in these baby girl name lists featuring the name Jennifer.


Siblings of Jennifer

Mamas with kids named Jennifer also have kids with these names.

Name Meaning Origin Popularity Other Gender
Julian

Young at heart

Latin

4 Comments

  1. My grandpa that passed away used to call me that name so I made a promise to him when I have my first girl I will name her that just for him

  2. According to my mom, who consulted a baby name book in the early 70’s, my name means God’s gracious gift. I wish I knew which book it was because everyone thinks it means ‘fair one’.

  3. I love bringing back names that used to be popular and well known that have recently fallen out of use. Now, my baby has a name that everyone has heard of but isn’t very trendy right now. Several of my friends having little boys followed the same thought process and all ended up naming their babies Luke!

  4. This name was so popular in the 80’s that my child had 4 elementary school classmates named Jennifer in the mid-90’s.


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