Jean is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Jean means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Jean across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Jean has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Jean is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “God is gracious”. a Scottish feminine form of John; also the French form of John.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 483,475 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 727 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 483 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 6 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,479 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 64 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Jean per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1927 (12,775/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1979 (114/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (52/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2006 (43/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2004 (3/yr).
Jean has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1927, when it ranked #29 nationally (given to 12,775 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1920s.
John · Joan · Jane · Juan · Jenna · Joann · Joanne · Jennie
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