Jentzen
A Frisian surname transferred to a masculine given name of unknown meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 195 living Americans carry the first name Jentzen. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jentzen today is around 11 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jentzen births was 2013 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jentzen. 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
195
~ 1 in 1,757,715 Americans
Peak year
2013
16 babies that year
Average age
11
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,093
Tracked since 2005
Popularity
Jentzen: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jentzen from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 101 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Jentzen remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jentzen 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 Jentzen 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 Jentzen
The name Jentzen is believed to have its origins in the Germanic languages, specifically derived from the Old High German word "gund" or "gunt," which means "war" or "battle." It is thought to have emerged during the medieval period, when Germanic names were widely used across various regions of Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jentzen can be traced back to the 9th century, when it appeared in historical records from the Carolingian Empire. During this time, names with Germanic roots were popular among the Frankish nobility and warriors.
In the 12th century, a notable figure named Jentzen von Sachsen was mentioned in the chronicles of the Duchy of Saxony. He was a prominent military commander who played a significant role in the conflicts between the Holy Roman Empire and the Duchy of Saxony.
Another historical reference to the name Jentzen can be found in the 14th century, when a scholar and theologian named Jentzen Hildebrand gained recognition for his contributions to the study of canon law. He authored several influential treatises that were widely circulated across Europe during the Renaissance period.
In the 16th century, a German artist named Jentzen Holbein the Younger achieved fame for his portraiture work and his association with the court of King Henry VIII of England. His paintings, which captured the likenesses of prominent figures of the time, are considered masterpieces of the Northern Renaissance.
During the 18th century, a French military officer named Jentzen Dumont distinguished himself in the campaigns of the Seven Years' War. He rose through the ranks and became a respected strategist, known for his bravery and tactical acumen on the battlefield.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals who bore the name Jentzen throughout history, highlighting its Germanic origins and its association with various cultural and historical contexts across different time periods and regions.
People
Jentzen + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jentzen 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
Jentzen: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jentzen?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 195 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jentzen 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 1,757,715 US residents.
Is Jentzen a common name?
We classify Jentzen as "Very Rare". It ranks above 73.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 197 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jentzen most popular?
The single biggest year for Jentzen was 2013, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jentzen 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 Jentzen in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jentzen a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jentzen 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 Jentzen still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jentzen 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 Jentzen 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 are called Jentzen?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.