Jannelle
A feminine name of French origin meaning "little Jane".
Name Census estimates that about 1,087 living Americans carry the first name Jannelle. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jannelle today is around 36 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jannelle births was 1981 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jannelle. 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
1.1K
~ 1 in 315,321 Americans
Peak year
1981
44 babies that year
Average age
36
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,886
Tracked since 1948
Popularity
Jannelle: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jannelle from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 267 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jannelle 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 Jannelle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jannelles live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, New York, Florida recorded the most babies named Jannelle, while Michigan, Texas, Pennsylvania recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 39 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jannelle
The name Jannelle finds its roots in the Old French language, originating from the word "janelle," which means "little Jane." It was a diminutive form of the more common name Jane, derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious."
In the Middle Ages, the name Jannelle was particularly prevalent in the regions of northern France and parts of England, where the Norman influence was strong. It was often used as a feminine variant of the name John, which was widely popular during that time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jannelle can be found in the 13th-century French text "Le Roman de la Rose," a medieval poem that references a character named Jannelle. This literary work played a significant role in popularizing the name across Europe.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Jannelle. One such figure was Jannelle de Montfort (1292-1349), a French noblewoman and heiress who played a key role in the Breton War of Succession in the 14th century.
Another notable Jannelle was Jannelle de Beaumont (1410-1475), a French courtier and confidante to King Charles VII of France. She was known for her influence in the court and her role in the reconciliation between the king and the Duke of Burgundy during the later stages of the Hundred Years' War.
In the 16th century, Jannelle de Guise (1520-1564) was a prominent figure at the court of King Henry II of France. She was renowned for her beauty and her skills in poetry and music, earning her the admiration of many courtiers and nobles of her time.
Across the English Channel, Jannelle Cary (1584-1629) was an English poet and playwright who gained recognition for her works during the Elizabethan era. Her most famous play, "The Tragedy of Mariam," was one of the first English plays written by a woman.
Lastly, Jannelle d'Aubigné (1670-1719) was a French writer and courtier who served as the governess to the children of King Louis XIV of France. She is remembered for her memoirs, which provide valuable insights into the life and culture of the French court during the reign of the Sun King.
These are just a few examples of the many notable individuals throughout history who carried the name Jannelle, reflecting its enduring legacy across different cultures and time periods.
People
Jannelle + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jannelle 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
Jannelle: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jannelle?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,087 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jannelle 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 315,321 US residents.
Is Jannelle a common name?
We classify Jannelle as "Rare". It ranks above 90.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,171 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jannelle most popular?
The single biggest year for Jannelle was 1981, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jannelle is about 36 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jannelle a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jannelle 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.