The name Jeanette originated from the French feminine form of the male name Jean, which itself derives from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious." The name Jeanette first appeared in France during the Middle Ages, around the 12th century.

Jeanette is a diminutive form of Jeanne, which was a very popular name in medieval France. It was influenced by the French name Jehanne, which was a variant spelling of the name. The earliest recorded use of the name Jeanette dates back to the 13th century.

One of the most famous historical figures with the name Jeanette was Jeanette d'Arc, better known as Joan of Arc (1412-1431), the French heroine and Catholic saint who played a pivotal role in the Hundred Years' War. She was canonized in 1920 by the Catholic Church.

Another notable Jeanette in history was Jeanette Rankin (1880-1973), an American politician and activist who became the first woman elected to the United States Congress in 1917. She was also a leading figure in the women's suffrage movement.

In the realm of literature, Jeanette Winterson (born 1959) is a renowned English writer and novelist, best known for her semi-autobiographical novel "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit," which won the Whitbread Award for Best First Novel in 1985.

Jeanette MacDonald (1903-1965) was an American singer and actress who starred in numerous musical films during the 1930s and 1940s, including "Naughty Marietta" and "San Francisco."

Jeanette Piccard (1884-1936) was a Swiss-American balloonist and the first woman to reach the stratosphere. In 1934, she ascended to a record-breaking altitude of 57,559 feet (17,546 meters) in a balloon, accompanied by her husband, Jean Felix Piccard.