Jeannette
Jeannette was the 5309th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 1916, when it ranked 173rd; the most babies were born in 1917 (1,113). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,281 places. More babies were named Jeannette in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Jeanette) little Jean (Jane) · French, Scottish, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #5,309 girls, down 623 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 24girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19171,113 babies
- Total since 1880
- 69,300babies recorded
What does the name Jeannette mean?
Jeannette is a spelling of Jeanette, pronounced the same way, so it shares Jeanette's meaning and origin.
Jeanette is Jean with the diminutive -ette, or a spelling of French Jeannette (Jeanne + -ette), as Wiktionary notes; it was originally chiefly Scottish. Jeanne and Jean are feminine forms of John, from Hebrew Yoḥanan 'YHWH is gracious'. Singer and actress Jeanette MacDonald made it popular in the US in the 1930s.
יוֹחָנָן (Yoḥanan) (Biblical Hebrew, “YHWH is gracious”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Jeannette, Janet, Jean, Jeanne.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jeanette', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joan', DMNES (Durham University)
Jeannette popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 49 since 1930.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,309 | 24 |
| 2020 | #4,686 | 28 |
| 2010 | #3,714 | 42 |
| 2000 | #2,469 | 62 |
| 1990 | #770 | 266 |
| 1980 | #450 | 474 |
| 1970 | #352 | 714 |
| 1960 | #305 | 938 |
| 1950 | #256 | 884 |
| 1940 | #182 | 1,039 |
| 1930 | #196 | 987 |
| 1920 | #189 | 1,060 |
| 1910 | #192 | 347 |
| 1900 | #249 | 170 |
| 1890 | #251 | 99 |
| 1880 | #267 | 34 |
How popular is Jeannette, counting every spelling?
Jeannette is a spelling of Jeanette, a name family that ranked #1,505 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,309 for Jeannette on its own. Together these spellings went to 124 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jeanette | 75 | #2,391 | 336 |
| Janette | 25 | #5,150 | 166 |
| Jeannette | 24 | #5,309 | 101 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Jeannette?
24 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jeannette (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Jeannette born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 347 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jeannette.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jeannette?
About 32,300 people born in the US named Jeannette are alive today, with a median age of 64; half are between 51 and 76. That makes Jeannette a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jeannette by state
How common Jeannette was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 50 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jeannette: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jeannette, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Jeannette
What does Jeannette mean?
Jeannette is a spelling of Jeanette, which means “little Jean (Jane)” (French, Scottish, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jeannette?
Jeannette was the 5309th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 24 babies. Its best year was 1916, when it ranked 173rd; the most babies were born in 1917 (1,113). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,281 places. More babies were named Jeannette in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Jeannette a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Jeannette in the US.
Where is Jeannette most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jeannette was most common in California (0.01 per 1,000 girls).