# Jenny (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/jenny/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | nickname, from a description or nickname of an ancestor |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 1,432 |
| US rank (2010) | 19,019 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 215,604 people |
| Change since 2000 | -1.4% (1,453 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /ˈd͡ʒɛni/, 2 syllables |
| Variant spellings | Jenni, Jennie |

## Etymology

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.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Jenny in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 87% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.2% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 4.3% |
| Two or more races | 2.2% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Jenny in the United States.

## People named Jenny

- William Le Baron Jenney, American architect (1832-1907)

## Similar surnames

Jean, Jeon, Janney, Jen, Jenne, John, Jaime, Jain, Jin, Juan, Jahn, June.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.