NameChart

Jean

Girl name

Jean has been given to 483,475 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1927.

Meaning & origin /d͡ʒiːn/

Variant of Jeanne, from French Jeanne, from Old French Jehane, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Latin Ioanna under influence from Latin Iōhannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān). Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena. The unincorporated community in Nevada, originally named Goodsprings Junction, was renamed Jean on 28 June 1905 by postmaster G

Origin: French

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025

03.128k6.256k9.384k12.512k 18801900192019401960198020002020 Girls Boys
Hover or tap the chart to read any year.

Total babies

483,475

Peak year

1927 (12,775 babies)

Rank in 2025

Below top 1000

First recorded

1880

10-year trend

▲ +19%

Gender split

95% girls / 5% boys

Famous people named Jean

Jean de La Fontaine

French poet, fabulist and writer (1621–1695)

Arthur Rimbaud

French poet (1854-1891)

John Calvin

French Protestant reformer (1509–1564)

Jean Cocteau

French writer and film director (1889–1963)

Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).

Names with a similar vibe

Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Jean.

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