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Rare

Jennelle

A feminine name derived from Jennifer, of English origin meaning "fair spirit".

Name Census estimates that about 1,033 living Americans carry the first name Jennelle. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jennelle today is around 37 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jennelle births was 1981 (53 babies).

This page is the full Name Census profile for Jennelle. 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 331,805 Americans

Peak year

1981

53 babies that year

Average age

37

years old

2021 SSA rank

#12,761

Tracked since 1950

Popularity

Jennelle: popularity over time

The SSA tracks Jennelle from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 401 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

01327405319501960197019801990200020102020

Decades

Jennelle 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 Jennelle during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.

DecadeMaleFemaleTotal
1950s02727
1960s06363
1970s0188188
1980s0401401
1990s0178178
2000s0139139
2010s0100100
2020s077

Geography

Where Jennelles live

The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, New York, Pennsylvania recorded the most babies named Jennelle, while New Jersey, Massachusetts, Illinois recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 26 registrations each.

Origin

Meaning and history of Jennelle

The name Jennelle is a relatively modern feminine name with roots that can be traced back to various French and English origins. It is believed to have emerged as a combination of the names Jennie and Nelle, both of which have distinct histories.

Jennie is a diminutive form of the name Jennifer, which is derived from the Cornish name Gwenfrewi or the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. These names are thought to be derived from the Welsh elements "gwen" meaning fair or blessed, and "hwyfar" meaning smooth or gentle. The name Jennifer was popularized in the late 16th century by the romantic novelist Pamela Norman.

Nelle, on the other hand, is a variant of the name Nellie, which is a diminutive of the name Eleanor. Eleanor originated from the Old French form "Aliénor," which itself was derived from the Occitan phrase "alia Ænor," meaning "other Aenor." Aenor was a Germanic name composed of the elements "ail" meaning "other" and "noor" meaning "honor."

The earliest recorded use of the name Jennelle can be traced back to the late 19th century, though it was relatively uncommon until the mid-20th century. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Jennelle Prager, an American actress born in 1891 who appeared in several silent films in the 1920s.

Another notable figure with the name Jennelle was Jennelle Voigt, an American singer and actress born in 1924. She performed on Broadway and television throughout the 1950s and 1960s, and was best known for her role as Mary Todd Lincoln in the 1957 film "The Buccaneer."

In the literary world, Jennelle Breedlove was an American novelist and short story writer born in 1932. Her works often explored themes of race, identity, and the African American experience in the United States.

Jennelle Holman, born in 1946, was a pioneering American computer scientist and educator. She made significant contributions to the field of computer science education and was instrumental in developing curriculum and teaching methods for introducing computer programming to students at an early age.

Jennelle Steed, born in 1968, is a British entrepreneur and businesswoman. She co-founded the successful online retailer ASOS (As Seen on Screen) in 2000, which became one of the largest fashion and beauty retailers in the UK.

While the name Jennelle has gained some popularity in recent decades, it remains a relatively uncommon choice, particularly in comparison to its root names Jennifer and Eleanor. Its unique blend of French and English influences, combined with its distinctive sound and historical associations, contribute to its appeal as a feminine name with a touch of elegance and individuality.

People

Jennelle + last name combinations

How many people share a full name with Jennelle 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

Jennelle: questions and answers

How many people in the U.S. are named Jennelle?

Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,033 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jennelle 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 331,805 US residents.

Is Jennelle a common name?

We classify Jennelle 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, 1,103 babies have been registered with this name.

When was Jennelle most popular?

The single biggest year for Jennelle was 1981, when 53 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jennelle is about 37 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.

Is Jennelle a female name?

Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jennelle 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.

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