Girl name · Welsh
Jennifer
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: Cornish form of GuinevereJennifer is a girl's name that comes from Welsh and means "Cornish form of Guinevere". It is used in German.
- Meaning
- Cornish form of Guinevere
- Origin
- Welsh
- Gender
- Girl
- US rank
- #586 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Jennifer
As a girl's name, Jennifer comes from Welsh and means "Cornish form of Guinevere". It is used in German.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Jennifer on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Jennifer on 1 list.
“The Cornish form of Guinevere, fair and bright”
From White cat names, names that mean white or fair
How popular is Jennifer?
- US rank in 2025
- #586
- 501 babies, 312 per million girls
- Best rank
- #1 in 1970
- Most babies: 63,600 in 1972
- Babies since 1919
- At least 1,471,703
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 1 per million |
| 1920s | 7 per million |
| 1930s | 35 per million |
| 1940s | 738 per million |
| 1950s | 2,239 per million |
| 1960s | 9,001 per million |
| 1970s | 37,647 per million |
| 1980s | 25,671 per million |
| 1990s | 8,222 per million |
| 2000s | 3,437 per million |
| 2010s | 872 per million |
| 2020s | 372 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #272 | #309 | #344 | #391 | #431 | #494 | #501 | #520 | #544 | #586 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Jennifer
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Jencommon English nickname
- JennyJennifer's first syllable + -y
Middle names for Jennifer
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More girl names from Welsh
- SabrinaFrom Sabrina, the Latin name of the River Severn (Welsh, girl)
- GwenWhite, fair, blessed (Welsh, girl)
- GwendolynBlessed ring (Welsh, girl)
- MeganA pearl (Welsh, girl)
- ReeseArdor, enthusiasm (Welsh, unisex)
- RhiannonGreat queen (Welsh, girl)
- TeganFair, beautiful (Welsh, girl)
- WynnFair, white, blessed (Welsh, unisex)
- AngharadMuch loved (Welsh, girl)
- AnwenVery fair, very blessed (Welsh, girl)
- ArianwenSilver white (Welsh, girl)
- BlodwenWhite flowers (Welsh, girl)
- BranwenWhite raven (Welsh, girl)
- BriallenPrimrose (Welsh, girl)
- BrynA hill (Welsh, unisex)
- CarwenBlessed love (Welsh, girl)
- CarysLove, beloved (Welsh, girl)
- CelynHolly (Welsh, unisex)
Jennifer: common questions
What does the name Jennifer mean?
Jennifer comes from Welsh and means "Cornish form of Guinevere".
Is Jennifer a boy or girl name?
Jennifer is mainly a girl's name.
What are nicknames for Jennifer?
Common nicknames for Jennifer include Jen and Jenny.
How popular is the name Jennifer?
Jennifer ranked #586 in the US in 2025, with 501 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What middle names go with Jennifer?
Middle names that flow well with Jennifer include Aoife, Dawn, Holly, Honor and Lucy. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.