Jenna
Jenna is a female given name. In the English-speaking world it is a variation of Jenny, which is itself a diminutive of Jane, Janet, Jennifer and is often used as a name in its own right.
Meaning & Origin of Jenna
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jenna is a female given name. In the English-speaking world it is a variation of Jenny, which is itself a diminutive of Jane, Janet, Jennifer and is often used as a name in its own right.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Jenna
Jenna first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1915, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1985, when 6,436 Jennas were born — ranking #50 that year. As of 2026, Jenna ranks #713 for baby girls with 396 births, falling sharply (-35%). In total, more than 149K Jennas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Jenna
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Jenna Andrews (born 1985 or 1986), Canadian singer, songwriter, and record producer
- Jenna Arnold (born 1981), American activist and businesswoman
- Jenna Bass (born 1986), South African film director
- Jenna Boyd (born 1993), American actress
- Jenna Buglioni (born 2002), Canadian ice hockey player
- Jenna Busch (born 1973), American entertainment journalist
- Jenna Bush (born 1981), daughter of George W. Bush
- Jenna-Anne Buys (born 1985), South African figure skater
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Jenna
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jenna is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jenna
What does the name Jenna mean?
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About the name Jenna
Jenna is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1915 and has accumulated 149K births in the dataset. Jenna's peak popularity came in 1985 when it ranked #45. Use the chart and map above to compare Jenna's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1985 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . 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 (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
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.