Jennifer

Meaning: White phantom, fair spirit
Origin: Variant of Guinevere (from Welsh Gwenhwyfar, from Proto-Brythonic gwynn 'white' + a word for spirit)

Nicknames: Jenny, Jennie, Jenna, Jen, Jenn

Girl's name · #586 in the US (2025) · Retro

Popularity over time

Jennifer was #1 back in 1970, spent 15 years as America's #1 name, and stands at #586 today. About 1.5 million girls have carried it since 1919.

Across the states

See where Jennifer is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 34 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Jennifer ranks in other countries and regions.

#122 in Mexico (2024) · #242 in Ecuador (2025) · #427 in Ireland (2025) · #539 in Poland (2025) · #655 in England & Wales (2025) · #845 in Netherlands (2025) · #1,004 in Sweden (2025) · #1,567 in Austria (2025) · #2,161 in Switzerland (2025) · #2,746 in France (2025) · #735 in Canada (2024).

Famous Jennifers

Jennifer Lopez — American singer and actress (born 1969)
Jennifer Aniston — American actress (born 1969)
Jennifer Lawrence — American actress and producer (born 1990)
Jennifer Connelly — American actress (born 1970)
Jennifer Garner — American actress

In stories & tradition

Jennifer Melfi — The Sopranos (TV series)
Jennifer (Jade) — Green Lantern (comics)
Jennifer Keller — Stargate Atlantis (TV series)

What Jennifers become

Among 3,742 notable people named Jennifer:

Scientists & scholars appear 1.31× more often than among typical names — e.g. Jennifer Doudna, American biochemist.

Twin names

A popular twin pairing with Jennifer is Jessica for a girl.

Spellings & nicknames

About 460 girls a year are given Jenna as their full name, 160 Jenny, and 80 Jennie.

Similar names: Juniper · Melissa · Jenny · Kelly · Leslie · Bridget

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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