The first name Jenny
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɛni/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
From Jen + -y, historically as a hypocoristic form of Janet, Jane, etc. but now more often used as a diminutive of Jennifer. Rarely also a nickname of Genevieve (compare Genny, pronounced the same), Eugenia or Virginia (compare Ginny). Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet, Janey, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeannette, Jeannine, Jen, Jenna, Jessie, Jo, Jody, Juanita, Shanae, Sinead, and Vanna in derivations from Jane etc. In senses related to inanimate objects, partially derived from the generic senses of Jane and partially an informal pronunciation of engine.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 14 girls were named Jenny, making it the 2,006th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 147 births (#256).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jenny with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Jenny at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 142 girls born in the United States were named Jenny, the 1,503rd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1977, when 2,688 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.
Jenny in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Jenny in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Jenny
84 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Jenny SlateAmerican actress and comedian (born 1982)
- Jenny ErpenbeckGerman opera director and writer (born 1967)
- Jenny AgutterBritish film and television actress (born 1952)
- Jenny HanAmerican writer (born 1980)
- Jenny HolzerAmerican conceptual artist (born 1950)
- Jenny SavilleBritish painter (born 1970)
- Jenny MollenAmerican actress, born 1979
- Jenny LamyAustralian sprinter, born 1949
- Jenny JonesBritish snowboarder, born 1980
- Jenny ShimizuAmerican model and actress, born 1967
- Jenny BeavanEnglish costume designer, born 1950
- Jenny MeadowsBritish athletics competitor, born 1981
Questions
- What does the name Jenny mean?
- From Jen + -y, historically as a hypocoristic form of Janet, Jane, etc. but now more often used as a diminutive of Jennifer. Rarely also a nickname of Genevieve (compare Genny, pronounced the same), Eugenia or Virginia (compare Ginny). Doublet of Ivanka, Jan, Janelle, Janet,…
- How popular is the name Jenny?
- In 2025, 14 girls born in England and Wales were named Jenny, ranking 2,006th. Its peak was 1996, with 147 births.
- Is Jenny a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 99% of the 92,706 US babies named Jenny since 1880 were girls.
- When was Jenny most popular?
- 1977 in the United States, when 2,688 babies were named Jenny, its highest rank at 108th.
- How do you pronounce Jenny?
- Jenny is /ˈd͡ʒɛni/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Jenny?
- Jenni, Jennie, Jenna and Genny.
- Is Jenny also a surname?
- Yes. Jenny is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.