Jearldean
A combination of the English names Gerald and Dean, possibly meaning "ruler of kindness."
Name Census estimates that about 16 living Americans carry the first name Jearldean. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jearldean today is around 86 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jearldean births was 1931 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jearldean. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Jearldean is about 86 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Jearldeans were born before 1950.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jearldean. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
16
~ 1 in 21,422,146 Americans
Peak year
1931
7 babies that year
Average age
86
years old
1949 SSA rank
#5,586
Tracked since 1925
Popularity
Jearldean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jearldean from the 1920s through to the 1940s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 36 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1930s peak, Jearldean remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jearldean 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 Jearldean during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jearldean
The given name Jearldean is a unique and intriguing one, with its origins shrouded in mystery. It is believed to be a relatively modern invention, likely originating in the United States or Canada in the 20th century. While the exact etymology of the name is unclear, it appears to be a combination of the more common names Gerald and Dean.
One possible theory is that Jearldean emerged as a blend of these two names, perhaps created by parents seeking a distinctive and memorable moniker for their child. The name may also have been inspired by a combination of the French name Gérard and the English name Dean, reflecting the cultural diversity of North America.
Despite its relatively recent origins, Jearldean has gained a small but dedicated following among parents seeking unique and meaningful names for their children. Some of the earliest recorded instances of the name date back to the mid-20th century, though it has never achieved widespread popularity.
One notable bearer of the name Jearldean was Jearldean Aline Kinder (1924-2012), an American educator and civil rights activist from Mississippi. She dedicated her life to fighting for equal educational opportunities for African American students and played a pivotal role in the desegregation of schools in her state.
Another individual with the name Jearldean was Jearldean Lane (1933-2019), an American gospel singer and songwriter. She was known for her powerful vocals and her contributions to the gospel music genre, recording several albums and performing extensively throughout her career.
Jearldean Frazier (1937-2021) was an American author and journalist, best known for her work exploring the lives and experiences of African American women. Her books, including "Black Women, Black Men" and "Portraits of Black Achievement," shed light on the struggles and triumphs of the Black community.
Jearldean Parker (1945-present) is a retired American basketball player who played professionally in the Women's Professional Basketball League (WBL) in the late 1970s. She was a standout player at Immaculata College and was inducted into the Immaculata Athletics Hall of Fame in 2001.
Jearldean Williams (1955-present) is an American politician and educator who served as a member of the Alabama House of Representatives from 1998 to 2010. She was a strong advocate for education reform and worked to improve educational opportunities for students in her district.
While the name Jearldean may be relatively uncommon, it carries with it a rich tapestry of stories and accomplishments, reflecting the diverse and resilient individuals who have borne this distinctive moniker throughout history.
People
Jearldean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jearldean 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
Jearldean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jearldean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 16 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jearldean 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 21,422,146 US residents.
Is Jearldean a common name?
We classify Jearldean as "Very Rare". It ranks above 36.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 63 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jearldean most popular?
The single biggest year for Jearldean was 1931, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jearldean is about 86 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jearldean a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jearldean 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.