Jayne first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Jayne has been for the last 50 years (from 1975 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Jayne

A feminine name of English origin meaning "God is gracious".

Popularity of Jayne by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Jayne is more commonly used as a female name, with approximately 100% of people named Jayne being female.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 65 female babies and 0 male babies born with the name Jayne.

YearMale CountFemale Count
2024065
2023664
2022071
2021051
2020067
2019079
2018080
2017075
2016090
2015081
2014085
2013076
2012058
2011076
2010071
2009065
2008074
2007065
2006067
2005064
2004091
2003066
2002065
2001081
2000098
1999091
1998068
1997085
1996097
19950100
19940120
1993086
1992093
19910130
19900128
19890133
19880142
19870119
1986793
19855140
19845130
19830126
19820137
19810149
19800143
19790159
19780116
19770119
19760111
19750117

The history of the first name Jayne

The name Jayne is an English feminine name derived from the French name Jeanne, which itself originates from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The name Jeanne was popularized during the Middle Ages and was often associated with Joan of Arc, the famous French heroine who led the French army to victory against the English during the Hundred Years' War in the early 15th century.

The earliest recorded use of the name Jayne can be traced back to the late 16th century in England. It is believed that the spelling variation "Jayne" emerged as a way to distinguish the name from the more common "Jane" or "Jean" spellings.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the name Jayne was Jayne Eyre, the fictional protagonist of Charlotte Brontë's classic novel "Jane Eyre," published in 1847. The novel's popularity helped to further establish the name in English-speaking countries.

Throughout history, there have been several influential women with the name Jayne. Jayne Mansfield (1933-1967) was an American actress and one of the leading sex symbols of the 1950s and 1960s. She starred in several popular films, including "The Girl Can't Help It" and "Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter?"

Jayne Meadows (1919-2015) was an American actress and author, best known for her role as the wife of Steve Allen on television and her appearances on several game shows. She had a long and successful career in both film and television.

Jayne Torvill (born 1956) is a British ice dancer and former Olympic champion. Together with her partner Christopher Dean, she won the gold medal in ice dancing at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.

Jayne Heitmeyer (born 1960) is an American former professional tennis player who achieved a career-high ranking of No. 8 in the world in 1986. She won three singles titles and nine doubles titles on the WTA Tour.

Jayne Atkinson (born 1959) is an American actress best known for her roles in television series such as "24," "Criminal Minds," and "House of Cards." She has also appeared in numerous films and stage productions throughout her career.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Jayne was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jayne, please contact us.

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