Jolene
Jolene is a feminine given name derived from a combination of the name Jo with the suffix -lene, common in other names in fashion during the middle of the 20th century such as Marlene. It came into greater use in the 1940s but increased in popularity following the release of the 1973 song Jolene by Dolly Parton.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Jolene
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jolene is a feminine given name derived from a combination of the name Jo with the suffix -lene, common in other names in fashion during the middle of the 20th century such as Marlene. It came into greater use in the 1940s but increased in popularity following the release of the 1973 song Jolene by Dolly Parton.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Jolene
Jolene first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1918, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1974, when 1,053 Jolenes were born — ranking #245 that year. As of 2026, Jolene ranks #629 for baby girls with 475 births, falling sharply (-22%). In total, more than 37K Jolenes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jolene
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jolene. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Jolene
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Jolene Anderson (born 1980), Australian actress
- Jolene Blalock (born 1975), American actress from Star Trek: Enterprise
- Jolene Brand (born 1934), American actress
- Jolene Henderson (born 1991), American softball pitcher
- Jolene Koester , president of California State University, Northridge
- Jolene Purdy (born 1983), American actress from Orange Is The New Black
- Jolene Unsoeld (1931–2021), American politician
- Jolene Van Vugt (born 1980), Canadian motocross champion
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Jolene
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jolene 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 Jolene
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About the name Jolene
Jolene is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1918 and has accumulated 37K births in the dataset. Jolene's peak popularity came in 1974 when it ranked #245. Use the chart and map above to compare Jolene's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1974 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- 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.