Jennifer

Did you know?

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

⭐ Famous Jennifer

Jennifer Lopez

American singer and actress (born 1969)

Choose Jennifer and your child shares a first name with Jennifer Lopez, an American singer and actress. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Jennifer, like who?” Jennifer Lopez's Wikipedia article is available in 136 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Jennifer Lopez on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Everwest, CC BY 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 3,208 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Jennifer, 501 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Jennifer would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryJennifer first shows up in US birth records in 1919, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 106 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1984, when it ranked #1. Today it's #586, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📉Then vs nowJennifer was 17× more common in 2000 than it is today. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 193 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 3,208.
• 🍂TrendJennifer has slipped 155 places over the last five years and now sits at #586. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedJennifer is most popular in South Carolina, where it ranks #373, followed by Nevada (#374) and Indiana (#396). It's in the top 1,000 in 29 states.
• 💬MeaningJennifer is a Cornish form of Guinevere, which means “white and fair”. Our records link it to Celtic, English and Welsh roots.

About the name Jennifer

Jennifer is a girl name of Celtic, English and Welsh origin meaning “white and fair”. It has 8 letters and 3 syllables, starting with J and ending in “-fer”. US birth records list Jennifer for girls from 1919 to 2025, in 107 of those 107 years. Its best year was 1984, when it ranked #1 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #586, with 501 babies.

Origin:Celtic namesEnglish namesWelsh names