Jinks
A fanciful invented name likely derived from "jinx" or "high jinks".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Jinks. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jinks today is around 77 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jinks births was 1929 (6 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jinks. 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
- • The typical person named Jinks is about 77 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Jinks' were born before 1959.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jinks. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1929
6 babies that year
Average age
77
years old
1930 SSA rank
#4,276
Tracked since 1929
Popularity
Jinks: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jinks from the 1920s through to the 1930s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1920s, with 6 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
Jinks 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 Jinks 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 Jinks
The name Jinks has its origins in the English language and is believed to have derived from the Middle English word "jenkin," which was a diminutive form of the name John. The name John itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious."
Jinks was a relatively common name in England during the medieval period, particularly among the lower classes. It was often used as a nickname or a shortened version of the name John, which was one of the most popular names at the time.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jinks can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landholdings in England commissioned by William the Conqueror in 1086. The book mentions a man named "Jenkin" who held land in Gloucestershire.
In the 14th century, Geoffrey Chaucer, the renowned English poet, used the name "Jenkin" in his famous work, "The Canterbury Tales." The character of Jenkin appears in the "Reeve's Tale" and is depicted as a clever and mischievous miller.
During the 16th and 17th centuries, the name Jinks became more widespread across England and Scotland. One notable bearer of the name was Jinks Pettibone (1565-1637), an English merchant and landowner who played a significant role in the colonization of Virginia.
In the 18th century, Jinks Cooley (1701-1789) was a renowned American silversmith and engraver who is credited with creating some of the earliest examples of American colonial silver.
Another notable figure was Jinks McRae (1819-1892), a Scottish-born American soldier who served in the Confederate Army during the American Civil War and rose to the rank of Brigadier General.
In the 19th century, Jinks Weidman (1836-1912) was a prominent American businessman and philanthropist who founded the Weidman Institute, a vocational school for underprivileged children in Pennsylvania.
While the name Jinks has declined in popularity in recent times, it still holds historical significance and a rich heritage, particularly in the English-speaking world.
People
Jinks + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jinks 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
Jinks: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jinks?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jinks 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 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Jinks a common name?
We classify Jinks as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 11 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jinks most popular?
The single biggest year for Jinks was 1929, when 6 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jinks is about 77 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 Jinks in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jinks a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jinks 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 Jinks still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jinks 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 Jinks 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 named Jinks?
Find out how many Americans are named Jinks on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.