Jenssen
A Scandinavian name of uncertain meaning, possibly relating to John.
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Jenssen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jenssen today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jenssen births was 2015 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jenssen. 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 Jenssen. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2015
5 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2015 SSA rank
#12,950
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Jenssen: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jenssen 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 Jenssen during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jenssen
The name Jenssen is a Scandinavian name with origins that can be traced back to medieval times. It is a derivation of the Old Norse name Jóhannes, which was a version of the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The name Jóhannes eventually evolved into various forms across different regions, including Jenssen.
During the Viking Age, from the 8th to the 11th centuries, Norsemen traveled and settled in various parts of Europe, including present-day Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. As they established settlements, names like Jenssen became more widespread. The name was particularly prevalent in Denmark and Norway, where it was often associated with influential families and individuals.
One of the earliest recorded mentions of the name Jenssen can be found in the Danish Chronicle of Saxo Grammaticus, written in the early 13th century. The chronicle mentions a Danish nobleman named Jenssen, who played a significant role in the conflicts between Denmark and Sweden during that period.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Jenssen. One such figure was Jenssen Andersson (1490-1555), a Swedish military commander who played a crucial role in the Swedish War of Liberation against Denmark in the early 16th century. Another prominent individual was Jenssen Thorvaldsson (1570-1642), a Norwegian explorer and navigator who led several expeditions to Greenland and the Arctic regions.
In the field of arts and literature, Jenssen Ibsen (1828-1906), the renowned Norwegian playwright and poet, is undoubtedly one of the most famous individuals to bear the name. His works, such as "A Doll's House" and "Peer Gynt," have had a lasting impact on modern theater and literature.
Another notable figure was Jenssen Grieg (1843-1907), a Norwegian composer and pianist who is best known for his Peer Gynt suite, inspired by Ibsen's play. His compositions, rooted in Norwegian folk music, have become beloved classics in the Western classical repertoire.
In more recent times, Jenssen Hauge (1915-1994) was a Norwegian resistance fighter during World War II, renowned for his bravery and contribution to the Norwegian resistance movement against the Nazi occupation.
These are just a few examples of the many individuals throughout history who have borne the name Jenssen, each leaving their mark in various fields and contributing to the rich cultural heritage of the Scandinavian region.
People
Jenssen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jenssen 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
Jenssen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jenssen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jenssen 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Jenssen a common name?
We classify Jenssen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jenssen most popular?
The single biggest year for Jenssen was 2015, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jenssen is about 11 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jenssen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jenssen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jenssen in the SSA data are male. 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.
Is Jenssen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jenssen in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jenssen can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Jenssen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.