Jewel (given name)


Jewel is an English given name often given in reference to the English vocabulary word meaning gemstone. The word jewel comes from the Old French word jouel, meaning toy or delight, and was ultimately derived from the Latin term jocus. The name might have originated as an affectionate pet name or been inspired by other gemstone names also in fashion in the Anglosphere during the 19th century. The name is also sometimes a transferred use of the surname Jewel or Jewell, which comes from the Breton surname Judicaël. Some parents might have named their children after John Jewel, a 16th-century Bishop of Salisbury.

Usage

Jewel was among the top 1,000 most popular names for girls in the United States between 1880 and 1968 and again between 1997 and 2019. It was at the height of its popularity between 1898 and 1930, when it was among the top 250 names for American girls. It peaked in 1904, when it was ranked in 198th position on the popularity chart. The name also ranked among the top 1,000 names for American boys at different times between 1880 and 1952.

Women

Pen name

Stage name

Men