Jenifer

Did you know?

A few things about Jenifer you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Jenifer

Jenifer Lewis

American actress

Choose Jenifer and your child shares a first name with Jenifer Lewis, an American actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Jenifer, like who?” Jenifer Lewis's Wikipedia article is available in 30 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Jenifer Lewis on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: greginhollywood (Greg Hernandez), CC BY 2.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 107,527 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Jenifer, 15 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Jenifer would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryJenifer first shows up in US birth records in 1933, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 92 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1973, when it ranked #271. Today it's #7,133, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowJenifer was 19× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 5,571 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 107,527.
• 🚀TrendJenifer has climbed 79 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #7,133. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 💬MeaningJenifer is an English form of Jennifer, which means “white phantom”. Our records link it to English and Welsh roots.

About the name Jenifer

Jenifer is a girl name of English and Welsh origin meaning “white phantom”. It has 7 letters and 3 syllables, starting with J and ending in “-fer”. US birth records list Jenifer for girls from 1933 to 2025, in 91 of those 93 years. Its best year was 1973, when it ranked #271 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #7,133, with 15 babies.

Origin:English namesWelsh names