Jenae
A feminine variant of the name Jennifer meaning "fair, soft and gentle".
Name Census estimates that about 3,214 living Americans carry the first name Jenae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jenae today is around 32 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jenae births was 1991 (165 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jenae. 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
3.2K
~ 1 in 106,644 Americans
Peak year
1991
165 babies that year
Average age
32
years old
2024 SSA rank
#7,736
Tracked since 1958
Popularity
Jenae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jenae from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 1,077 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jenae 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 Jenae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jenaes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 20 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Jenae, while Wisconsin, Missouri, Indiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 61 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jenae
The name Jenae is a relatively modern variant of the more traditional name Jenna, which itself is a shortened form of the Hebrew name Yenena or Yenina. The name Yenena is derived from the Hebrew word "yanah," which means "to lament" or "to mourn." It is believed to have its origins in ancient Hebrew culture, dating back to biblical times.
While the name Jenae does not appear to have any direct historical references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, its root name, Yenena, is mentioned in the Old Testament as the name of a daughter of Abraham's brother, Nahor. This connection to biblical figures suggests that the name has been in use for centuries, albeit in its original Hebrew form.
The earliest recorded examples of the specific spelling "Jenae" are relatively recent, with the name gaining popularity in the late 20th century, particularly in the United States. However, its root name, Jenna, has a longer history, with notable historical figures bearing the name.
One of the earliest known individuals with the name Jenna was Jenna of Angers (c. 1080 - c. 1135), a French noblewoman and heiress who played a significant role in the conflicts between the House of Anjou and the House of Normandy during the Norman conquest of England.
Another historical figure with the name Jenna was Jenna of Ravenna (c. 1200 - c. 1260), an Italian nun and mystic who was known for her visions and writings on spiritual matters.
In more modern times, Jenna Bush Hager (born 1981) is a notable American author, journalist, and the daughter of former U.S. President George W. Bush. Another famous Jenna is Jenna Dewan (born 1980), an American actress, dancer, and businesswoman best known for her roles in films and television shows like Step Up and Supergirl.
While the name Jenae itself may not have a long historical lineage, its roots can be traced back to ancient Hebrew culture, and its more traditional form, Jenna, has been borne by several notable figures throughout history.
People
Jenae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jenae 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
Jenae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jenae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 3,214 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jenae 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 106,644 US residents.
Is Jenae a common name?
We classify Jenae as "Rare". It ranks above 95.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 3,357 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jenae most popular?
The single biggest year for Jenae was 1991, when 165 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jenae is about 32 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jenae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jenae 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.