ESC Name Rank Total Searching... No names found Try searching for: Emma, Liam, Olivia, Noah... 👧As Girl Name 1880 First Year 2026 Last Year 1927 Peak Year #12 Peak Rank 458K Total Count 147 Years Active 👦As Boy Name 1880 First Year 2026 Last Year 1993 Peak Year #309 Peak Rank 25K Total Count 147 Years Active 🌍 ## Meaning & Origin of Jean What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. Jean is a name with multiple cultural origins: French, English, Scottish. Origin data from [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/). ### Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name) * French * English * Scottish 📖 ## The Story of Jean ### As a girl name The earliest SSA record of Jean as a girl name dates back to 1880, when 59 babies received it. 1927 was its biggest year on record, with 12,512 newborns named Jean — #14 in the national rankings. The 1920s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 23% of all recorded Jeans. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,507 among girl names with 71 births, gradually falling (-10%). In total, more than 458K Jeans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s. ### As a boy name American parents first put Jean on the record books as a boy name in 1880, with 12 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1993, when 428 Jeans were born — ranking #489 that year. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,133 among boy names with 190 births, rising sharply (+23% over the past five years). In total, more than 25K Jeans have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s. ## Popularity Over Time Girls Boys ## Popularity by State 👧 Girls 👦 Boys ME WA MT ND MN WI MI NY VT NH MA OR ID SD IA IL IN OH PA NJ CT RI CA NV WY NE MO KY WV VA MD DE DC UT CO KS AR TN NC SC AK AZ NM OK LA MS AL GA HI TX FL Top 10 11-50 51-100 101-500 500+ No data 🔗 ## Variants & Related Forms of Jean Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jean. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * Jeannot * [Jane](/jane) * [Janeka](/janeka) * [Janelle](/janelle) * [Janet](/janet) * [Janey](/janey) * [Janie](/janie) * [Jeana](/jeana) * [Jeane](/jeane) * [Jeanie](/jeanie) * [Jeanna](/jeanna) * [Jennie](/jennie) * [Jenny](/jenny) * [Jessie](/jessie) * Teasag 🌐 ## Where is Jean most common? Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally. * 🏳️HT33% * 🇫🇷France19% * 🇺🇸United States17% * 🏳️CM15% * 🏳️CI15% Source: [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts. 🎶 ## Names that sound like Jean Phonetically similar names — useful when Jean is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. * [Gene](/gene) * Geen * [Jeanne](/jeanne) * [Gean](/gean) * [Jeane](/jeane) * [Jene](/jene) * [John](/john) * [Gin](/gin) * Join * [Jane](/jane) * [Jen](/jen) * [Gen](/gen) Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. ❓ ## Frequently Asked Questions about Jean What does the name Jean mean? Jean is a name with multiple cultural origins: French, English, Scottish. What is the origin of the name Jean? Jean has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: French, English, Scottish. How popular is Jean in 2026? In 2026, Jean ranks #2,507 among girls' names in the U.S., with 71 babies given the name that year. When was Jean most popular? Jean reached its peak popularity in 1927, ranking #12 that year with 12,512 babies given the name. In which U.S. states is Jean most popular? Jean has historically been most popular in Hawaii, Connecticut, District of Columbia. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Jean. Is Jean a unisex name? Yes — Jean is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 95% of Jeans assigned female and 5% assigned male historically. What names go well with Jean? Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Jean include Ella, Christina, Avery. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data. What are nicknames or variants of Jean? Common variants and related forms of Jean include Jeannot, Jane, Janeka, Janelle, Janet, Janey. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms. ## Similar Names ### 👧 Similar Girl Names [👧EllaPeak #12](/ella)[👧ChristinaPeak #12](/christina)[👧AveryPeak #12](/avery)[👧GracePeak #13](/grace) ### 👦 Similar Boy Names [👦ZackPeak #309](/zack)[👦DarielPeak #309](/dariel)[👦TalanPeak #309](/talan)[👦MaryPeak #308](/mary) ## About the name Jean Jean is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 458K births in the dataset. Jean's peak popularity came in 1927 when it ranked #12\. Use the chart and map above to compare Jean's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices. ### Continue exploring * [ Top names of 1927 → ](/year/1927) * [ Names of the 1920s → ](/decade/1920s) * [ Names starting with "J" → ](/letter/j) * [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls) * [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026) * [ Browse unisex names → ](/names/unisex) Data sources * Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships. * Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — [Behind the Name ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms). * Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/). * Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/). * Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.