Jenilyn
A feminine name of unknown origin, possibly a combination of Jennie and Lynn.
Name Census estimates that about 129 living Americans carry the first name Jenilyn. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jenilyn today is around 39 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jenilyn births was 1987 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jenilyn. 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
129
~ 1 in 2,657,010 Americans
Peak year
1987
15 babies that year
Average age
39
years old
2007 SSA rank
#16,362
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Jenilyn: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jenilyn from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 93 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
Jenilyn 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 Jenilyn 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 Jenilyn
The name Jenilyn is a modern English name that combines the names Jennifer and Lyn. It does not have ancient roots or direct translations from other languages.
Jennifer is derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, composed of the elements gwen meaning "fair, white" and hwyfar meaning "smooth, soft." It was popularized by the character of Guinevere in Arthurian legends. One of the earliest known bearers was Gwenhwyfar, a medieval Welsh princess born around 500 AD.
Lyn is a shortened form of names like Linda or Lynette, ultimately derived from the Germanic name Lindelinda, composed of lind "lime tree" and lind "soft, tender." It became popular in the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
While Jenilyn itself does not have a long historical lineage, some notable bearers of the name include Jenilyn Brito, a Filipino model and actress born in 1985. Jenilyn Moren, a Canadian volleyball player, represented Canada at the 2015 Pan American Games. Jenilyn Nerecina is a Filipino journalist and news anchor.
Other individuals with the first name Jenilyn include Jenilyn Elefante, a Filipino professional basketball player born in 1986, and Jenilyn Engracio, a Filipino singer and actress. However, given the relatively recent origin of the name, there are likely few additional historical figures known by this specific moniker.
Overall, Jenilyn is a modern combination name that blends elements from the Welsh and Germanic linguistic traditions, reflecting the diverse influences that have shaped the English language and naming practices over time.
People
Jenilyn + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jenilyn 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
Jenilyn: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jenilyn?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 129 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jenilyn 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 2,657,010 US residents.
Is Jenilyn a common name?
We classify Jenilyn as "Very Rare". It ranks above 68.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 136 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jenilyn most popular?
The single biggest year for Jenilyn was 1987, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jenilyn is about 39 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jenilyn a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jenilyn 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.