Jennifer is a girl's name of Irish and Celtic origin. Its meaning is not recorded in the standard references we check — we would rather tell you that plainly than guess. In 2024 it was given to 552 girls in the United States.
Jennifer at a glance
Gender
Girl name
Origin
Irish & Celtic · English & American
Meaning
Not recorded in standard references
Pronunciation
/ˈd͡ʒɛnɪfɚ/
Also spelled
Guinevere, Jenifer, Jenefer
About the name Jennifer
Jennifer belongs to the Irish & Celtic and English & American tradition. Its roots are documented, even though its precise meaning is not recorded in the standard references — an honest gap we prefer to a confident guess. It travels in a few spellings: Guinevere, Jenifer, Jenefer.
In the United States, Jennifer first appears in Social Security records in 1919. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #1 in 1970, and in 2024 552 babies received the name — 1,471,191 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.
The meaning of Jennifer is not recorded in the standard references we check. Rather than repeat an unsourced claim, we leave it open — its Irish and Celtic origin is documented, but its exact meaning is not.
Is Jennifer a boy or girl name?
Jennifer is a girl name. In 2024, 552 babies received the name in the US.
What origin is the name Jennifer?
Jennifer comes from the Irish & Celtic and English & American tradition. It is also spelled Guinevere, Jenifer, Jenefer.
How popular is the name Jennifer?
Jennifer first appears in US records in 1919. Its best-ever ranking was #1 in 1970, and 552 babies were given the name in 2024.
How do you pronounce Jennifer?
Jennifer is pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɛnɪfɚ/ (IPA).
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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.
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