Johnette
Feminine form of John, derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 1,410 living Americans carry the first name Johnette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Johnette today is around 59 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Johnette births was 1949 (58 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Johnette. 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
1.4K
~ 1 in 243,088 Americans
Peak year
1949
58 babies that year
Average age
59
years old
2006 SSA rank
#18,452
Tracked since 1914
Popularity
Johnette: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Johnette from the 1910s through to the 2000s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 455 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Johnette 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 Johnette during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Johnettes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Louisiana, Texas, California recorded the most babies named Johnette, while Ohio, Mississippi, South Carolina recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 24 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Johnette
The name Johnette is a feminine form of the masculine name John, which is derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The name John has its roots in the biblical figure John the Baptist, a Jewish preacher who baptized Jesus Christ.
Johnette is an English name that emerged as a diminutive form of John, likely during the Middle Ages. It was used as an affectionate or familiar version of the name, often given to young girls or women named after a male relative named John.
While the name Johnette does not have a long and storied history like its masculine counterpart, there are a few notable individuals who have borne this name throughout the years.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Johnette is Johnette Napolitano, an American singer-songwriter and bassist, born in 1957. She is best known as the founder and lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Concrete Blonde.
Another notable Johnette is Johnette Downing, an American singer and musician, born in 1941. She is celebrated for her work in the jazz and blues genres and has collaborated with many renowned artists over the course of her career.
In the realm of literature, Johnette Howard is an American sportswriter and author, born in 1958. She has written for various publications, including The Washington Post and ESPN.com, and is known for her insightful coverage of sports and athletes.
Johnette Starr is an American actress and model, born in 1963. She has appeared in numerous television shows and films, most notably in the popular sitcom "The Cosby Show" during the late 1980s.
Lastly, Johnette Napolitano is an American artist and sculptor, born in 1946. Her work has been exhibited in various galleries and museums across the United States, and she is recognized for her unique style and creative vision.
While the name Johnette may not be as widespread or historically significant as some other names, it has nonetheless been borne by notable individuals throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields.
People
Johnette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Johnette 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
Johnette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Johnette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,410 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Johnette 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 243,088 US residents.
Is Johnette a common name?
We classify Johnette as "Rare". It ranks above 92.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,004 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Johnette most popular?
The single biggest year for Johnette was 1949, when 58 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Johnette is about 59 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Johnette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Johnette 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.
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.