Jennilee
A feminine name combining "Jenni", a pet form of Jennifer, and "Lee".
Name Census estimates that about 457 living Americans carry the first name Jennilee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jennilee today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jennilee births was 1982 (78 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jennilee. 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
457
~ 1 in 750,009 Americans
Peak year
1982
78 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2011 SSA rank
#13,982
Tracked since 1952
Popularity
Jennilee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jennilee from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 349 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
Jennilee 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 Jennilee during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jennilees live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Jennilee, while Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Arizona recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 13 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jennilee
The given name Jennilee is a relatively modern combination of the names Jennifer and Lee. It first emerged in the English-speaking world during the late 20th century, possibly as a creative blend aiming to create a distinctive feminine name.
The name Jennifer itself is derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, which combines the elements "gwen" meaning fair or white, and "hwyfar" meaning smooth or soft. It was popularized in the English-speaking world through its association with the character of Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur in Arthurian legends.
The name Lee, on the other hand, has its roots in the Old English word "leah," meaning a meadow or a clearing in a forest. It was originally a surname but later gained popularity as a given name, particularly as a masculine name.
While there are no known historical references or ancient texts that specifically mention the name Jennilee, its components, Jennifer and Lee, have been used separately throughout history.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jennifer can be found in the Welsh manuscript known as the "Black Book of Carmarthen," dating back to the late 12th or early 13th century. This manuscript contains a poem that mentions the name Gwenhwyfar, the Welsh form of Jennifer.
As for the name Lee, it has been used as a surname in England since the 12th century, with notable historical figures bearing this name, such as Sir Henry Lee (1533-1611), a prominent courtier and military commander during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.
While the name Jennilee itself is relatively new and its usage as a given name is not widespread, there are a few notable individuals who have borne this name:
1. Jennilee Murray, a Canadian actress known for her roles in television series such as "Heartland" and "Supernatural."
2. Jennilee Glasgow, an American artist and illustrator known for her work in children's books and comics.
3. Jennilee Toner, an American volleyball player who competed in the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.
4. Jennilee Robinson, a Canadian singer and songwriter who has released several albums in the country music genre.
5. Jennilee Braid, a Canadian model and social media influencer.
It is important to note that the name Jennilee, being a modern combination, does not have a long historical tradition or widespread usage across cultures. Its popularity and significance are relatively recent and limited to certain regions and communities.
People
Jennilee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jennilee 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
Jennilee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jennilee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 457 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jennilee 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 750,009 US residents.
Is Jennilee a common name?
We classify Jennilee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 483 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jennilee most popular?
The single biggest year for Jennilee was 1982, when 78 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jennilee is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jennilee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jennilee 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.