Jennafer
A feminine name of English origin, a variant spelling of Jennifer.
Name Census estimates that about 1,024 living Americans carry the first name Jennafer. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jennafer today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jennafer births was 1985 (81 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jennafer. 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
1.0K
~ 1 in 334,721 Americans
Peak year
1985
81 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2009 SSA rank
#11,891
Tracked since 1964
Popularity
Jennafer: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jennafer from the 1960s through to the 2000s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 452 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
Jennafer 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 Jennafer during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jennafers live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Jennafer, while Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 25 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jennafer
The name Jennafer has its origins rooted in the ancient Greek language, with its roots tracing back to the 5th century BC. It is believed to be a variant of the name Gwendoline, which itself is derived from the Welsh name Gwendolen, meaning "white ring" or "white circle."
The earliest recorded use of the name Jennafer can be found in the writings of the Greek philosopher Plato, who mentioned a woman by this name in his dialogues. However, the name did not gain widespread popularity until much later in history.
In the Middle Ages, the name Jennafer appeared in various literary works and historical records, particularly in England and France. One notable example is the 12th-century French epic poem, "The Song of Roland," which features a character named Jennafer.
During the Renaissance period, the name Jennafer gained some prominence, with several notable figures bearing this name. Jennafer de Medici (1520-1589), an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts, was a significant figure during this time. Another famous Jennafer from this era was Jennafer Sforza (1463-1497), a Italian Renaissance ruler and patron of the arts.
In the 17th century, the name Jennafer found its way into English literature, with the playwright William Shakespeare using it for a character in his play "The Taming of the Shrew." This helped to further popularize the name in England and other parts of the English-speaking world.
Other notable historical figures with the name Jennafer include Jennafer Austen (1775-1817), the renowned English novelist known for works such as "Pride and Prejudice" and "Sense and Sensibility." Jennafer Nightingale (1820-1910), the pioneering English nurse and social reformer, also bore this name.
While the name Jennafer has experienced various periods of popularity and decline throughout history, it has remained a relatively uncommon name in many parts of the world. Its unique blend of Greek and Welsh origins, combined with its literary and historical associations, have contributed to its enduring appeal and significance.
People
Jennafer + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jennafer 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
Jennafer: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jennafer?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,024 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jennafer 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 334,721 US residents.
Is Jennafer a common name?
We classify Jennafer as "Rare". It ranks above 90.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,080 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jennafer most popular?
The single biggest year for Jennafer was 1985, when 81 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jennafer is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jennafer a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jennafer 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.