Girl · #1,325 in 2026

Jenny

Jenny is a female given name. The name was originally the diminutive form of Jane, but it is now associated with Jennifer. It may also be spelt Jennie, which was the most common spelling before the 20th century.

  • English
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Finnish
Current Rank
#1,325
Peak Rank
#108 (1977)
Total Babies
92K
5-Yr Trend
-14%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1977
Peak Year
#108
Peak Rank
92K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Jenny

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Jenny is a female given name. The name was originally the diminutive form of Jane, but it is now associated with Jennifer. It may also be spelt Jennie, which was the most common spelling before the 20th century.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Finnish
  • German
  • Dutch
  • French
  • Spanish
  • Icelandic

The Story of Jenny

Jenny first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 13 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1977: 2,688 births, good for #108 nationwide. The 1970s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Jennys. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,325 among baby girl names with 171 births, gradually falling (-14%). In total, more than 92K Jennys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

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 Jenny

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jenny. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Jenny

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Jenny Agutter (born 1952), English actress
  • Jenny-Wanda Barkmann (1922–1946), German concentration camp guard
  • Jenny Beavan (born 1950), English costume designer
  • Jenny Berggren (born 1972), Swedish singer
  • Jenny Berrigan (born 1983), American snowboarder
  • Jenny Berthelius (1923–2019), Swedish crime novelist and children's writer
  • Jennie Bimson (born 1976), English field hockey player
  • Jennie M. Bingham (1859–1933), American author and littérateur

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Jenny

Phonetically similar names — useful when Jenny 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 Jenny

What does the name Jenny mean?
Jenny is a female given name. The name was originally the diminutive form of Jane, but it is now associated with Jennifer. It may also be spelt Jennie, which was the most common spelling before the 20th century.
What is the origin of the name Jenny?
Jenny has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, German, Dutch, French, Spanish, Icelandic.
How popular is Jenny in 2026?
In 2026, Jenny ranks #1,325 among girls' names in the U.S., with 171 babies given the name that year.
When was Jenny most popular?
Jenny reached its peak popularity in 1977, ranking #108 that year with 2,688 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Jenny most popular?
Jenny has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, Utah, Idaho. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Jenny.
Is Jenny a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Jenny is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Jenny?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Jenny include Augusta, Janis, Daniela. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Jenny?
Common variants and related forms of Jenny include Chevonne, Gaynor, Giovana, Guenièvre, Gwenevere, Jan. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

👧
Augusta
Peak #108
👧
Janis
Peak #108
👧
Daniela
Peak #108
👧
Karina
Peak #108
👧
Amara
Peak #108
👧
Adalynn
Peak #108
👧
Joy
Peak #109
👧
Adriana
Peak #107

About the name Jenny

Jenny is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 92K births in the dataset. Jenny's peak popularity came in 1977 when it ranked #108. Use the chart and map above to compare Jenny's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.