Jep
A Dutch diminutive form of Joseph, meaning "he will add".
Name Census estimates that about 156 living Americans carry the first name Jep. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jep today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jep births was 2014 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jep. 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
156
~ 1 in 2,197,143 Americans
Peak year
2014
19 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#13,096
Tracked since 1883
Popularity
Jep: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jep from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 104 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Jep remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jep 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 Jep 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 Jep
The name Jep has its origins in the Dutch language, specifically in the Netherlands. It is a diminutive form of the name Jacob, which has Hebrew roots and means "supplanter" or "one who follows." The name Jep emerged in the 16th century as a common nickname or shortened version of Jacob in Dutch-speaking regions.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jep can be found in the writings of the Dutch Golden Age playwright and poet, Joost van den Vondel (1587-1679). He used the name Jep as a character in his plays, reflecting its usage among the Dutch people at the time.
In the 17th century, Jep Jansen (1635-1705) was a notable Dutch landscape painter known for his depictions of rural scenes and village life. His works are considered valuable representations of the Dutch countryside during that era.
Another notable figure with the name Jep was Jep Nuijten (1892-1975), a Dutch football player who represented the Netherlands national team in the early 20th century. He played as a forward and participated in the 1920 Summer Olympics in Antwerp.
Moving into the 20th century, Jep Gambardella was the name of the protagonist in the critically acclaimed Italian film "The Great Beauty" (2013). Although a fictional character, the name Jep was chosen by the director, Paolo Sorrentino, to reflect the character's Roman roots and add a touch of eccentricity.
In the realm of literature, Jep Fenning (1918-1988) was a Dutch author and poet who gained recognition for his works exploring themes of love, nature, and the human condition. His collection "De Tuinman en de Vijver" (The Gardener and the Pond) is considered one of his most notable works.
While the name Jep may not be as common today as it once was, it carries a rich history and cultural significance, particularly in the Netherlands and among Dutch communities around the world. Its enduring presence in various artistic and literary works serves as a testament to its lasting legacy.
People
Jep + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jep 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
Jep: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jep?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 156 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jep 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 2,197,143 US residents.
Is Jep a common name?
We classify Jep as "Very Rare". It ranks above 70.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 202 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jep most popular?
The single biggest year for Jep was 2014, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jep is about 9 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 Jep in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jep a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jep 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 Jep still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jep 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 Jep 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 Americans are named Jep?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Jep at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.