Jorniel
A masculine name derived from Hebrew meaning "God's remover or thunder".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Jorniel. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jorniel today is around 8 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jorniel births was 2018 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jorniel. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jorniel. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2018
5 babies that year
Average age
8
years old
2018 SSA rank
#13,086
Tracked since 2018
Popularity
Jorniel: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jorniel 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 Jorniel during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jorniel
The name Jorniel is believed to have originated in the ancient Sumerian civilization, which flourished in Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq) around 3500-2000 BCE. The name is thought to be derived from the Sumerian words "jor" meaning "day" and "niel" meaning "bright," suggesting a possible meaning of "bright day" or "shining day."
The earliest known references to the name Jorniel can be found in cuneiform inscriptions and clay tablets from the Sumerian city-states of Uruk and Lagash. These ancient texts often recorded names of individuals, deities, and celestial bodies, indicating that Jorniel may have had some astrological or religious significance in Sumerian culture.
One of the earliest recorded individuals bearing the name Jorniel was a Sumerian scribe and astrologer who lived in the city of Uruk around 2500 BCE. This scribe is believed to have contributed to the development of the Sumerian writing system and the study of celestial phenomena.
Another notable figure with the name Jorniel was a Sumerian high priest who served in the temple of the moon god Nanna in the city of Ur during the reign of King Shulgi (2094-2047 BCE). This high priest is mentioned in several inscriptions and is believed to have played a significant role in religious ceremonies and rituals.
In the 1st century BCE, a Jewish scholar and historian named Jorniel ben Mattathias is mentioned in the writings of the Roman-Jewish historian Josephus. Jorniel ben Mattathias is said to have been a prominent figure in the Jewish community of Jerusalem during the Roman occupation of Judea.
During the Middle Ages, a Christian monk named Jorniel of Fulda (c. 810-876) lived in the Benedictine monastery of Fulda in present-day Germany. Jorniel of Fulda is known for his contributions to the study of ancient texts and his work in preserving and copying manuscripts.
In the 15th century, a Spanish explorer and navigator named Jorniel de Ojeda (c. 1470-1515) accompanied Christopher Columbus on his second voyage to the Americas in 1493. De Ojeda later led his own expeditions and is credited with being one of the first Europeans to explore the coast of present-day Colombia and Venezuela.
While the name Jorniel has ancient roots and has been used by various individuals throughout history, it is relatively uncommon in modern times. The name's unique origins and meaning make it a distinctive choice for those seeking a name with a rich cultural and historical background.
People
Jorniel + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jorniel 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
Jorniel: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jorniel?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jorniel 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Jorniel a common name?
We classify Jorniel as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jorniel most popular?
The single biggest year for Jorniel was 2018, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jorniel is about 8 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 Jorniel in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jorniel a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jorniel 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 Jorniel still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jorniel 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 Jorniel 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 Jorniel?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people have the name Jorniel at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.