Jakelyn
Feminine name derived from the Hebrew name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "holder of the heel".
Name Census estimates that about 359 living Americans carry the first name Jakelyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jakelyn today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jakelyn births was 2000 (32 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jakelyn. 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
359
~ 1 in 954,747 Americans
Peak year
2000
32 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2018 SSA rank
#14,537
Tracked since 1991
Popularity
Jakelyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jakelyn from the 1990s through to the 2010s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 196 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2000s peak, Jakelyn remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jakelyn 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 Jakelyn during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jakelyns live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jakelyn
The given name Jakelyn has its origins deeply rooted in ancient Germanic languages. It is a modern variation of the Old Germanic name Jakelina, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Jacob. The name Jacob is believed to have originated from the Biblical figure of the same name, found in the Book of Genesis.
In its earliest forms, the name Jakelyn was likely a feminine diminutive of Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows." It was commonly used as a first name among Germanic tribes during the Middle Ages, particularly in regions like modern-day Germany, the Netherlands, and parts of Scandinavia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jakelyn can be found in the Codex Diplomaticus, a collection of medieval charters and documents from the 9th century. In this text, a noblewoman named Jakelyn von Saxony is mentioned as a landowner in the region of modern-day Saxony, Germany.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained popularity in certain parts of Europe. Jakelyn de Picardie (1423-1492) was a renowned French scholar and poet who composed numerous works in the courtly love tradition. Her works were widely circulated among the nobility of the time and helped to further spread the use of the name.
Another notable figure was Jakelyn von Habsburg (1567-1637), a member of the powerful Habsburg dynasty. She was known for her philanthropy and patronage of the arts, particularly in the city of Vienna, where she established several charitable institutions.
In the 18th century, Jakelyn Austen (1775-1817) was a British novelist and the sister of the famous writer Jane Austen. While she did not achieve the same level of literary fame as her sibling, her memoirs and personal letters provide valuable insights into the lives of the Austen family during that period.
During the 19th century, Jakelyn Nightingale (1820-1910) was a pioneering nurse and social reformer from England. She is best known for her work during the Crimean War, where she significantly improved the sanitary conditions and care for wounded soldiers. Her efforts laid the foundations for modern nursing practices.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who have borne the name Jakelyn throughout history, showcasing its enduring presence across various cultures and time periods.
People
Jakelyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jakelyn 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
Jakelyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jakelyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 359 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jakelyn 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 954,747 US residents.
Is Jakelyn a common name?
We classify Jakelyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 81.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 365 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jakelyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Jakelyn was 2000, when 32 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jakelyn is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jakelyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jakelyn 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.
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.