Jene
Originally a French variant of Jean, meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 1,401 living Americans carry the first name Jene. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 70.9% of registrations being female. The average person named Jene today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jene births was 1987 (45 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jene. 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
1.4K
~ 1 in 244,650 Americans
Peak year
1987
45 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
2001 SSA rank
#11,353
Tracked since 1915
Gender
Gender distribution for Jene
Jene is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 2,218 total registrations, 646 (29.1%) were male and 1,572 (70.9%) were female.
Jene as a male name
- Ranked #11,353 in 2001
- 5 male births in 2001
- Peak: 1927 (26 births)
Jene as a female name
- Ranked #16,297 in 2008
- 6 female births in 2008
- Peak: 1987 (45 births)
Popularity
Jene: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jene from the 1910s through to the 2000s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 362 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
Jene 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 Jene during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jenes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 7 states and territories. California, Louisiana, New York recorded the most babies named Jene, while Pennsylvania, Illinois, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 30 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jene
The name Jene originates from the French language and can be traced back to the late Middle Ages, around the 14th century. It is believed to be a variation of the name Jean, which is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious."
Jene was relatively uncommon in its early usage, primarily found in regions of France and parts of Belgium. Some historical records suggest that it may have been a diminutive form of the name Jean, used as a nickname or affectionate term.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Jene can be found in a 15th-century manuscript from the Burgundian court, referring to a nobleman named Jene de Valois. However, details about this individual are scarce, and the reference remains obscure.
During the Renaissance period, the name gained some prominence in certain artistic circles. Jene Clouet, a French Renaissance painter born in 1480, is considered one of the most notable figures to bear this name. His portraits of the French royal family and nobility are highly regarded works of art.
In the 17th century, Jene Michelet, a French historian and philosopher, was born in 1798. He is renowned for his influential works on the French Revolution and the history of France, cementing the name's place in academic and intellectual circles.
Another noteworthy figure was Jene Lenoir, a French inventor and engineer born in 1822. He is credited with developing one of the earliest internal combustion engines, paving the way for modern automotive technology.
In the realm of literature, Jene Toomer, an American novelist and poet of the Harlem Renaissance, was born in 1894. His novel "Cane" is considered a seminal work of the African American literary canon, exploring themes of race, identity, and the human experience.
While the name Jene has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, it has left its mark in various fields, from art and literature to science and intellectual pursuits. Its French origins and unique spelling have contributed to its distinctive character and enduring legacy.
People
Jene + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jene 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
Jene: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jene?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,401 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jene 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 244,650 US residents.
Is Jene a common name?
We classify Jene as "Rare". It ranks above 92.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,218 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jene most popular?
The single biggest year for Jene was 1987, when 45 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jene is about 52 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jene a female name?
Yes, 70.9% of people registered as Jene 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.