Jensie
A feminine name derived from the French name Genevieve, meaning "white wave".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Jensie. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jensie today is around 15 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jensie births was 1915 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jensie. 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.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jensie. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
1915
5 babies that year
Average age
15
years old
2012 SSA rank
#18,043
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Jensie: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jensie from the 1910s through to the 2010s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 10 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jensie 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 Jensie 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 Jensie
The name Jensie is a diminutive form of the Germanic name Jens, which is derived from the Old Norse name Janis. The name Janis is believed to have originated from the Latin name Johannes, which means "Yahweh is gracious." The name Jensie is primarily used in the Netherlands and other parts of Northern Europe.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Jensie can be found in the Dutch records dating back to the 16th century. During this time, the Netherlands was a major maritime power, and it is possible that the name was brought back by Dutch sailors who had encountered it in their travels.
In the 17th century, the name Jensie gained popularity among the Dutch Mennonite communities. The Mennonites were a Protestant religious group known for their pacifism and commitment to nonviolence. It is possible that the name Jensie was chosen for its association with the idea of grace and mercy.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Jensie was Jensie van der Meer (1628-1693), a Dutch artist known for her still-life paintings. She was a member of the Leiden Guild of St. Luke and was praised for her skilled depictions of flowers and fruit.
Another historical figure with the name Jensie was Jensie Ruitenberg (1772-1845), a Dutch merchant and philanthropist. He was born in Amsterdam and made his fortune in the textile trade. Ruitenberg was known for his charitable works and supported several orphanages and schools in his hometown.
In the 19th century, the name Jensie was also used in Norway. One notable Norwegian figure with this name was Jensie Kristine Hoegh (1836-1905), a pioneering educator and women's rights activist. She founded one of the first schools for girls in Norway and was a vocal advocate for women's suffrage.
Another historical figure with the name Jensie was Jensie Vaupel (1875-1942), a Danish artist and illustrator. She was known for her colorful and whimsical illustrations, which often depicted scenes from fairy tales and folklore. Vaupel's work was widely published in children's books and magazines throughout the early 20th century.
Finally, Jensie Gerhardina van der Wal (1901-1985) was a Dutch journalist and writer. She was a pioneer in the field of radio journalism and was one of the first women to host a radio program in the Netherlands. Van der Wal also published several novels and short stories, many of which explored themes of feminism and social justice.
People
Jensie + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jensie 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
Jensie: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jensie?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jensie 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 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Jensie a common name?
We classify Jensie as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 15 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jensie most popular?
The single biggest year for Jensie was 1915, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jensie is about 15 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jensie a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jensie 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.