Jennifer (given name)


Jennifer, also spelled Jenifer or Jenefer, is a feminine given name, the Cornish form of Guinevere, that became popular in the English-speaking world in the 20th century.

Etymology

"Jennifer" may mean "the fair one". A Cornish form, it is cognate with the Welsh form Gwenhwyfar and with the Old Irish Findabair. Despite the name's similarity to the Old English words "jenefer," "genefer," and "jinifer," these appear to be derived from the juniper plant used to flavor the beverage.

Cultural influences

Jennifer has been in use as a feminine given name in English-speaking countries since the 18th century. The name increased in use in Cornwall in the 18th century when other Cornish names declined in use. The already popular nickname Jenny, which it shared with the well-used name Jane, probably increased usage of the name in Cornwall. Jennifer was primarily used in Cornwall and Devon in the early 19th century and was usually spelled Jenifer. In the United States, Jenifer as a feminine name was used mainly by Cornish immigrants in Wisconsin. It was also used for men in the United States, many of whom were probably named after Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, a Maryland politician.
Before 1906, the name was fairly uncommon elsewhere in English-speaking countries, but it gained some recognition after George Bernard Shaw used it for the main female character in The Doctor's Dilemma. Jenifer was also the titular heroine of the 1883 novel by Annie Hall Cudlip, first serialized in Dickens' All the Year Round and subsequently published in London and New York. Jennifer became the most common spelling of the name from the 20th century. Various other popular culture references likely inspired increased usage of the name throughout the English-speaking world. The popularity of the American actress Jennifer Jones increased awareness of the name in the 1940s. The name was also used for romantic heroines in several film productions. Jennifer, played by actress Veronica Lake, was the heroine of the 1942 American romantic comedy fantasy film I Married a Witch. Jennifer Jones played Jennifer "Jennie" Appleton, the mysterious heroine of the 1948 American supernatural film Portrait of Jennie. Jennifer is a 1953 American film noir drama mystery film. The name was later used for popular film characters such as Jennifer North, played by actress Sharon Tate in the American drama film Valley of the Dolls, which was released in December 1967 in the United States, and Jennifer Cavalleri, played by Ali MacGraw in the American romantic drama film Love Story, which was released in December 1970 in the U.S. Another influence on the popularity of the names Jenny and Jennifer was the song Jenny Rebecca, written by Carol Hall as a present for her friends, William Goldman and Ilene Jones, after the birth of their daughter. The song recounts all of the happy experiences that await four day old Jenny Rebecca. The ballad was first recorded by Barbra Streisand in 1965 and later by other performers. Frederica von Stade recorded the song in 1977 and released it on her 1978 album Song Recital; she named her daughter, Jennifer Rebecca, after the song. Other possible influences on the popularity of the name included the bubblegum pop song "Jennifer Eccles", released in March 1968 by the British band The Hollies, and the folk-pop hit song "Jennifer Juniper", released in 1968 in the UK and the United States by singer-songwriter Donovan. The name might also have come into greater use because it was different from, but sounded like, names such as Jane, Janet, Janice, Joanne, and Jean that had been popular in earlier generations. The fame of American actress Jennifer Lopez popularized the name for Hispanic American girls after 1998.

Usage

In the United Kingdom, the name debuted among the 100 most popular names for newborn girls in 1934. By 1950, the name was among the top 10 most popular names in both the United Kingdom and Australia. Jennifer remained among the top 100 names for girls in England and Wales until 2005, when it began to decline in use. In Ireland, the name was a top 100 name between 1964 and 2010 and was a top 10 name between 1976 and 1989. In New Zealand, the name debuted among the top 100 names for girls in 1932 and remained among the top 100 names until 2003. It was a top 10 name between 1946 and 1960.
In the United States, the name Jennifer first appeared in U.S. Social Security data in 1916, the year after a production of The Doctor's Dilemma made its American debut on Broadway It first appeared on the list of 1,000 most commonly used names for newborn baby girls in 1938, when it ranked at No. 987. The name increased significantly in use for American girls in 1944, the year Jennifer Jones won an Oscar for her role in the 1943 film The Song of Bernadette. The name was in 527th position on the popularity chart in 1942, increased to 397th position on the chart in 1943, to 262nd position in 1944 and to 200th position in 1945. Jennifer continued to increase in use for American girls and was among the top 100 names for American girls by 1956. It was the 10th most popular name for girls in the United States in 1967, rose to 4th on the popularity chart in 1968, to 3rd in 1969, and to 1st in 1970. Jennifer then remained the single most popular name for newborn girls in the United States every year from 1970 to 1984, inclusive. The name dropped out of the top 10 in the United States in 1992 and out of the top 100 in 2009. It has since continued to decline in use, but has remained among the top 1,000 names in use for American girls and, as of 2024, was ranked 546th on the popularity chart.
In Canada, the name debuted among the top 100 names for newborn girls in 1949 and was a top 10 name between 1968 and 1992. It has since declined in use.
It has also been well used in other European and North American countries. In France, the name debuted among the top 1,000 names for girls in 1969. The name was among the top 100 names for French girls between 1977 and 1997. It reached peak popularity in 1985 and 1986, when it was No. 9 on the French popularity chart. In Germany, the name was among the top 10 names between 1984 and 1995. In Belgium the name was among the top 100 names between 1995 and 1997 and among the top 200 names between 1998 and 2003. In Sweden, the name was among the top 100 names for girls between 1998 and 2007. In Switzerland, the name was among the top 100 names between 1998 and 2006. In Italy, the name was among the top 200 names for girls between 1999 and 2021. In Austria, the name was among the top 100 names between 1985 and 2004. In the Czech Republic, the name was among the top 200 names between 1993 and 2011. In Poland, the name was among the top 200 names between 2000 and 2009. In Mexico, the name was among the top 150 names for girls in 2020 and 2021.

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Fictional characters