Jolean
A feminine variant of the French name Jolaine meaning "downy and soft".
Name Census estimates that about 225 living Americans carry the first name Jolean. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jolean today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jolean births was 1977 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jolean. 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
225
~ 1 in 1,523,353 Americans
Peak year
1977
16 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2017 SSA rank
#14,922
Tracked since 1939
Census
Jolean in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 317 people with the first name Jolean, which placed it at #28,376 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
#28,376
National first-name rank
People counted
317
317 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
66.9% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Jolean
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Jolean is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Hispanic (9.1%). 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 Jolean 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 Jolean at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White66.9% · 212
- Black or African American12.6% · 40
- Hispanic or Latino9.1% · 29
- Two or more races4.7% · 15
- American Indian and Alaska Native3.5% · 11
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.2% · 10
Popularity
Jolean: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jolean from the 1930s through to the 2010s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 77 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jolean 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 Jolean 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 Jolean
The name Jolean is a unique and intriguing one, with a rich history that spans several cultures and time periods. Its origins can be traced back to the ancient Greek language, where it is derived from the word "iolea," meaning "violet." This connection to the delicate and vibrant flower gives the name a sense of beauty and grace.
In the medieval era, the name Jolean gained popularity in certain regions of Europe, particularly in France and England. During this time, it was often associated with nobility and affluence, as many aristocratic families adopted the name for their daughters. One notable figure who bore this name was Jolean de Montfort, a 13th-century French noblewoman and the wife of a prominent knight.
The name Jolean also has ties to various religious and spiritual traditions. In certain Christian texts, it is said to have been the name of an early female martyr, revered for her unwavering faith and courage in the face of persecution. Additionally, some interpretations suggest that the name may have roots in ancient pagan beliefs, where it was used to honor deities associated with nature and fertility.
As time progressed, the name Jolean continued to be embraced by different cultures and societies. In the Renaissance period, it was particularly popular among artists and intellectuals, who appreciated its connection to beauty and creativity. One notable figure from this era was Jolean Boccaccio, an Italian poet and scholar born in 1313, who was renowned for her elegant verse and contributions to the literary world.
Moving into the modern era, the name Jolean has maintained its unique charm and appeal. Several notable individuals have carried this name, including Jolean Blanchard, a French aviator and pioneer of early aviation, born in 1872. Another notable figure was Jolean Curie, a renowned physicist and daughter of the famous Marie Curie, who made significant contributions to the field of nuclear physics in the early 20th century.
Throughout its long and fascinating history, the name Jolean has embodied a sense of elegance, beauty, and resilience. From its ancient Greek roots to its connections with nobility, religious traditions, and artistic expression, this name has left an indelible mark on cultures around the world, serving as a testament to the enduring power of names and their ability to transcend time and geography.
People
Jolean + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jolean 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
Jolean: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jolean?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 225 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jolean 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 1,523,353 US residents.
Is Jolean a common name?
We classify Jolean as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 257 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jolean most popular?
The single biggest year for Jolean was 1977, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jolean is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Jolean in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 317 people with the name Jolean, or 0.10 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #28,376 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 Jolean 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 Jolean?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Jolean leans strongly female. 317 people counted with this name were female (97.8%), compared with 7 male bearers (2.2%). 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 Jolean?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Jolean is White at 66.9%. The next largest groups are Black (12.6%) and Hispanic (9.1%). 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 Jolean most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Jolean in the 2020 Census, accounting for 66.9% (212 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 Jolean in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jolean a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jolean 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 Jolean still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jolean 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 Jolean 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 common is the name Jolean?
See how many Americans are named Jolean on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.