Jolyn
Jolyn was the 12488th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1952, when it ranked 1662nd; the most babies were born in 1969 (51). Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,025 places. More babies were named Jolyn in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Jolene) modern blend of Jo- and -lene · American English
- Rank in 2025
- #12,488 girls, up 1,716 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 196951 babies
- Total since 1880
- 1,984babies recorded
What does the name Jolyn mean?
Jolyn 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)
Jolyn popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #12,488 | 7 |
| 2020 | #14,204 | 6 |
| 2010 | #8,475 | 14 |
| 2000 | #10,265 | 9 |
| 1990 | #4,762 | 20 |
| 1980 | #2,457 | 39 |
| 1970 | #2,139 | 38 |
| 1960 | #1,800 | 40 |
| 1950 | #2,487 | 17 |
| 1940 | #4,686 | 5 |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Jolyn, counting every spelling?
Jolyn is a spelling of Jolene, a name family that ranked #601 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #12,488 for Jolyn 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 Jolyn?
7 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jolyn (0.00 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Jolyn 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 1,224 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jolyn.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jolyn?
About 1,800 people born in the US named Jolyn are alive today, with a median age of 50; half are between 36 and 62. That makes Jolyn 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.
Jolyn by state
How common Jolyn was among girls born in each state in 1967–1971, around its peak. In 47 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 Jolyn: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jolyn, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Jolyn
What does Jolyn mean?
Jolyn is a spelling of Jolene, which means “modern blend of Jo- and -lene” (American English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Jolyn?
Jolyn was the 12488th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 7 babies. Its best year was 1952, when it ranked 1662nd; the most babies were born in 1969 (51). Over the last ten years it has moved down 2,025 places. More babies were named Jolyn in the 1970s than in any other decade.
Is Jolyn a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Jolyn in the US.
Where was Jolyn most popular?
In 1967–1971, Jolyn was most common in Utah (0.12 per 1,000 girls), followed by Washington and California.