The first name Jennifer
A girl’s name from Cornish.
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɛnɪfɚ/ 3 syllables Female
Meaning and origin
Cornish origin
From Cornish Gweniver, from Middle Cornish Gwynnever (cognate with Welsh Gwenhwyfar), from Proto-Brythonic *Gwɨnnohuɨβar. Doublet of Guinevere. Compare Irish Fionnabhair, which may be cognate. The /d͡ʒ/ consonantism is due to Anglo-Norman influence; compare Old French Genievre /d͡ʒəˈniɛ̯vɾə/, /d͡ʒəˈnjɛvɾə/.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 59 girls were named Jennifer, making it the 650th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 1,200 births (#54).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jennifer with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Jennifer at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 501 girls born in the United States were named Jennifer, the 586th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1972, when 63,600 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.
Jennifer in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Jennifer in Finnish and Portuguese too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Jennifer
212 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Jennifer LopezAmerican singer and actress (born 1969)
- Jennifer AnistonAmerican actress (born 1969)
- Jennifer LawrenceAmerican actress and producer (born 1990)
- Jennifer ConnellyAmerican actress (born 1970)
- Jennifer GarnerAmerican actress (born 1972)
- Jennifer DoudnaAmerican biochemist, born 1964
- Jennifer Love HewittAmerican actress and singer, born 1979
- Jennifer HudsonAmerican singer, actress, model and spokesperson, born 1981
- Jennifer MorrisonAmerican actress, born 1979
- Jennifer JonesAmerican actress (1919–2009)
- Jennifer CoolidgeAmerican actress (born 1961)
- Jennifer Jason LeighAmerican actress (born 1962)
Questions
- What does the name Jennifer mean?
- From Cornish Gweniver, from Middle Cornish Gwynnever (cognate with Welsh Gwenhwyfar), from Proto-Brythonic *Gwɨnnohuɨβar. Doublet of Guinevere. Compare Irish Fionnabhair, which may be cognate. The /d͡ʒ/ consonantism is due to Anglo-Norman influence; compare Old French Genievre…
- What is the origin of the name Jennifer?
- From Cornish Gweniver, from Middle Cornish Gwynnever (cognate with Welsh Gwenhwyfar), from Proto-Brythonic *Gwɨnnohuɨβar. Doublet of Guinevere. Compare Irish Fionnabhair, which may be cognate. The /d͡ʒ/ consonantism is due to Anglo-Norman influence; compare Old French Genievre /d͡ʒəˈniɛ̯vɾə/,…
- How popular is the name Jennifer?
- In 2025, 59 girls born in England and Wales were named Jennifer, ranking 650th. Its peak was 1996, with 1,200 births.
- What are nicknames for Jennifer?
- Common nicknames for Jennifer include Jenni, Jenn.
- Is Jennifer a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 1,476,540 US babies named Jennifer since 1880 were girls.
- When was Jennifer most popular?
- 1972 in the United States, when 63,600 babies were named Jennifer, its highest rank at 1st.
- How do you pronounce Jennifer?
- Jennifer is /ˈd͡ʒɛnɪfɚ/, 3 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Jennifer?
- Jenifer, Jenipher, Jenafer and Jenefer.