Jolette
A feminine French diminutive form of the name Jolie meaning "pretty".
Name Census estimates that about 731 living Americans carry the first name Jolette. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jolette today is around 20 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jolette births was 2005 (258 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jolette. 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
731
~ 1 in 468,884 Americans
Peak year
2005
258 babies that year
Average age
20
years old
2024 SSA rank
#9,186
Tracked since 1954
Popularity
Jolette: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jolette from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 453 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jolette 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 Jolette during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jolettes live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. Texas, California, Arizona recorded the most babies named Jolette, while Oregon, Oklahoma, Nevada recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 32 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jolette
The name Jolette is believed to have originated from the French language, specifically as a diminutive form of the name Jolie, meaning "pretty" or "beautiful." Its roots can be traced back to the Old French word "jolif," which was derived from the Latin word "ioculus," meaning "little joke" or "jest." This suggests that the name may have initially been given as a playful or affectionate nickname.
The earliest recorded use of the name Jolette can be found in French historical records from the 17th century, particularly in regions such as Normandy and Brittany. It was not an uncommon name among French peasants and commoners during that time period.
One of the earliest notable figures with the name Jolette was Jolette Dubois, a French actress born in 1685 who gained acclaim for her performances in comedic plays in Paris. Another historical figure was Jolette Lefebvre, a French Revolution activist who played a role in the Women's March on Versailles in 1789.
In the 19th century, Jolette Bouchette, born in 1822, was a Canadian author and poet known for her works celebrating the natural beauty of her homeland. Across the Atlantic, Jolette Harding, an English suffragette born in 1876, was a prominent figure in the women's rights movement and advocated for equal voting rights.
Moving into the 20th century, Jolette Cavalieri, an Italian opera singer born in 1909, gained international recognition for her powerful soprano voice and performances in various operas and concerts throughout Europe.
While the name Jolette has remained relatively uncommon, it has persisted as a unique and charming French-inspired name, carrying a sense of beauty, playfulness, and historical significance through its roots and the notable individuals who have borne it over the centuries.
People
Jolette + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jolette 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
Jolette: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jolette?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 731 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jolette 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 468,884 US residents.
Is Jolette a common name?
We classify Jolette as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 751 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jolette most popular?
The single biggest year for Jolette was 2005, when 258 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jolette is about 20 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jolette a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jolette 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.