Jestine
A feminine name of French origin meaning "a jester or entertainer".
Name Census estimates that about 542 living Americans carry the first name Jestine. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jestine today is around 52 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jestine births was 1949 (26 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jestine. 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
542
~ 1 in 632,388 Americans
Peak year
1949
26 babies that year
Average age
52
years old
2009 SSA rank
#16,100
Tracked since 1909
Census
Jestine in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 577 people with the first name Jestine, which placed it at #18,616 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#18,616
National first-name rank
People counted
577
577 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Black or African American
51.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jestine
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Jestine is Black at 51.5%. The next largest groups are White (26.2%) and Hispanic (14.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Jestine described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Jestine at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Black or African American51.5% · 297
- White26.2% · 151
- Hispanic or Latino14.0% · 81
- Asian and Pacific Islander4.2% · 24
- Two or more races3.5% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.7% · 4
Popularity
Jestine: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jestine from the 1900s through to the 2000s, spanning 11 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 156 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1940s peak, Jestine remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jestine 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 Jestine during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jestines live
The SSA's state-level files cover 5 states and territories. South Carolina, Georgia, California recorded the most babies named Jestine, while New York, Mississippi, California recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 41 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jestine
The name Jestine is a relatively uncommon given name with roots that can be traced back to ancient Greece. It is believed to be derived from the Greek word "jestinos," which means "hospitable" or "welcoming." The name's origins suggest that it was likely given to individuals who were known for their generous and hospitable nature.
During the classical period in ancient Greece, hospitality was highly valued and considered a sacred duty. This cultural significance may have contributed to the popularity of names like Jestine, which embodied the virtue of hospitality. The name's early usage can be found in various Greek texts and records from that era.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Jestine was a Greek philosopher who lived in the 4th century BC. Although little is known about his life and works, his name has been preserved in historical texts, further solidifying the name's Greek roots.
In the Middle Ages, the name Jestine gained some popularity among Christian communities, possibly due to its association with hospitality, which was a highly valued virtue in religious circles. Records from this period show a handful of individuals bearing the name, including Jestine of Arles, a 6th-century monk known for his charitable works.
During the Renaissance period, the name Jestine experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy. One notable figure from this era was Jestine Boccaccio, an Italian author and poet born in 1313. His works, such as the famous "Decameron," were influential in shaping the literary landscape of the time.
In the 19th century, the name Jestine gained some traction in parts of Europe, particularly in France and Germany. One notable bearer of the name was Jestine Grimm, a German author and folklorist who lived from 1785 to 1863. She collaborated with her brothers, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, in collecting and preserving traditional folk tales and legends.
Another individual of historical significance was Jestine Leconte, a French poet born in 1818. He was part of the Parnassian movement and is remembered for his lyrical poetry that celebrated nature and classical themes.
While the name Jestine has never been among the most popular given names, it has maintained a modest presence throughout history, particularly in regions with strong cultural ties to ancient Greece and the virtues of hospitality. Its enduring legacy serves as a reminder of the rich tapestry of cultural and linguistic influences that have shaped the naming traditions across the globe.
People
Jestine + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jestine 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
Jestine: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jestine?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 542 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jestine 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 632,388 US residents.
Is Jestine a common name?
We classify Jestine as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,015 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jestine most popular?
The single biggest year for Jestine was 1949, when 26 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jestine is about 52 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Jestine in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 577 people with the name Jestine, or 0.19 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #18,616 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Jestine in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Jestine?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Jestine leans strongly female. 560 people counted with this name were female (96.7%), compared with 19 male bearers (3.3%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Jestine?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Jestine is Black at 51.5%. The next largest groups are White (26.2%) and Hispanic (14.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Jestine most often in the Census?
Black is the largest reported group for people named Jestine in the 2020 Census, accounting for 51.5% (297 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
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 Jestine in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jestine a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jestine 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.
Is Jestine still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jestine 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 Jestine 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.
How many people have Jestine as a first name?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.