The first name Jacqueline
A girl’s name from French meaning “james”, “jacob”, “heel”.
Pronounced /ˈdʒækəlɪn/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
French origin
Jacqueline means “james”, “jacob”, “heel” in French.
From French Jacqueline, a feminine diminutive form of Jacques (“James”), from Hebrew יעקב (ya'akóv, “Jacob”), from the root עקב (‘akev, “heel”), because the biblical patriarch Jacob was born just behind Esau, and was grasping Esau’s heel in an effort to prevent him from being born first.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 15 girls were named Jacqueline, making it the 1,892nd most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 98 births (#349).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jacqueline with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Jacqueline at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 541 girls born in the United States were named Jacqueline, the 558th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1964, when 11,975 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Jacqueline in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Jacqueline in Dutch, French, German and Spanish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Jacqueline
118 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Jacqueline Kennedy OnassisFirst Lady of the United States from 1961 to 1963
- Jacqueline BissetEnglish actress, born 1944
- Jacqueline BoyerFrench singer, born 1941
- Jacqueline du PréBritish cellist (1945–1987)
- Jacqueline WilsonEnglish novelist, born 1945
- Jacqueline CochranAmerican aviator and businesswoman (1906–1980)
- Jacqueline, Countess of HainautDutch noble (1401–1436)
- Jacqueline SusannAmerican writer and actress (1918–1974)
- Jacqueline MacInnes WoodCanadian actress, born 1987
- Jacqueline ObradorsAmerican actress, born 1966
- Jacqueline WoodsonAmerican children's writer and novelist (born 1963)
- Jacqueline McKenzieAustralian actress, born 1967
More French girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Jacqueline mean?
- Jacqueline means “james”, “jacob”, “heel” in French.
- What is the origin of the name Jacqueline?
- From French Jacqueline, a feminine diminutive form of Jacques (“James”), from Hebrew יעקב (ya'akóv, “Jacob”), from the root עקב (‘akev, “heel”), because the biblical patriarch Jacob was born just behind Esau, and was grasping Esau’s heel in an effort to prevent him from being born first.
- How popular is the name Jacqueline?
- In 2025, 15 girls born in England and Wales were named Jacqueline, ranking 1,892nd. Its peak was 1996, with 98 births.
- What are nicknames for Jacqueline?
- Common nicknames for Jacqueline include Jacky, Jackie, Jacqui, Jacquie, Jacki.
- Is Jacqueline a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 427,479 US babies named Jacqueline since 1880 were girls.
- When was Jacqueline most popular?
- 1964 in the United States, when 11,975 babies were named Jacqueline, its highest rank at 37th.
- How do you pronounce Jacqueline?
- Jacqueline is /ˈdʒækəlɪn/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Jacqueline?
- Jaqueline, Jacquelyn, Jacklyn and Jaclyn.