Joleen
Joleen was the 5811th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1974, when it ranked 754th with 187 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,708 places. More babies were named Joleen in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Jolene) modern blend of Jo- and -lene · American English
- Rank in 2025
- #5,811 girls, down 1,121 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 21girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1974187 babies
- Total since 1880
- 6,670babies recorded
What does the name Joleen mean?
Joleen is a spelling of Jolene, pronounced the same way, so it shares Jolene's meaning and origin.
Jolene is a 20th-century American coinage. Wiktionary explains it as the Jo- that begins names like Joanne, Josephine and Joseph, plus the -lene ending of Helene and Marlene. It belongs to the same family as Charlene and Darlene, built the same way. The name has no older meaning of its own; any meaning comes only through Jo- names such as Joanne ("God is gracious"). US records show it in use as a girls' name from the 1910s.
Jo- (English, “from names such as Joanne, Josephine”)-lene (English, “name ending, as in Marlene, Helene”)
How sure is this? Probable. A coinage from name elements, not a word; 'meaning' is only what the elements suggest.
Related names: Joleen, Jolean, Jolie, Jo.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jolene' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Charlene' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Joleen popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #5,811 | 21 |
| 2020 | #4,690 | 28 |
| 2010 | #3,488 | 46 |
| 2000 | #3,481 | 38 |
| 1990 | #2,583 | 46 |
| 1980 | #1,007 | 145 |
| 1970 | #1,032 | 120 |
| 1960 | #961 | 124 |
| 1950 | #1,011 | 82 |
| 1940 | #1,193 | 38 |
| 1930 | #3,193 | 9 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Joleen, counting every spelling?
Joleen is a spelling of Jolene, a name family that ranked #601 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #5,811 for Joleen on its own. Together these spellings went to 494 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jolene | 423 | #666 | 2,807 |
| Jolyne | 26 | #5,032 | 151 |
| Joleen | 21 | #5,811 | 127 |
| Jolynn | 17 | #6,668 | 117 |
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 Joleen?
21 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Joleen (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Joleen 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 401 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Joleen.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Joleen?
About 5,800 people born in the US named Joleen are alive today, with a median age of 50; half are between 37 and 64. That makes Joleen mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Joleen by state
How common Joleen was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in California (1.8×). In 49 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 Joleen: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Joleen, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Joleen
What does Joleen mean?
Joleen is a spelling of Jolene, which means “modern blend of Jo- and -lene” (American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Joleen?
Joleen was the 5811th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 21 babies. Its best year was 1974, when it ranked 754th with 187 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,708 places. More babies were named Joleen in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Joleen a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Joleen in the US.
Where is Joleen most popular?
In 2021–2025, Joleen was most common in California (0.03 per 1,000 girls), followed by Texas and Texas.