Fun Facts About the Name Jennings
- More than 5 thousand babies named Jennings: U.S. records list 5,191 babies given the name Jennings from 1880 through 2025. Even 313 girls received the name Jennings - about 1 girl for every 16 boys.
What Does the Name Jennings Mean?
Jennings is an English surname used as a given name. Its established meaning is "son of John" - more precisely, "son of Jenin." Jenin (also spelled Jenyn) was a Middle English pet form of John. John came into English through Old French Jehan and Latin Johannes, from Greek Ioannes, from Hebrew Yochanan, "God is gracious." The final -s of Jennings is a patronymic or genitive ending that marks descent, so the literal sense is "descendant of Jenin," not a direct statement that the bearer is gracious. Some modern lists give the meaning as "little John," but that describes the root name Jenin; Jennings itself adds the patronymic ending.
Jennings Name History & Origins
The surname arose in medieval England, where a second name often identified a person by his father. Jenin was one of several familiar forms of John then in use; related pet forms included Jen, Jenkin, and Jenning. A son or descendant of Jenin could be recorded as Jenynes or Jennings. By the later Middle Ages, such bynames had become hereditary in many English families, and the -s ending settled as part of the modern surname. Spellings such as Jenyn, Jenning, and Jennings appear in English records.
As a first name, Jennings is a transferred use of the surname, a pattern that became more common in the modern period. The 20th-century Jennings novels by Anthony Buckeridge use the name for a fictional schoolboy; this is a literary use and does not account for the name's medieval origin.
How Popular is the Name Jennings?
Jennings recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1926. Its best rank was #247 in 1897.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,283 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #5,195 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2023 | #5,465 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2022 | #5,230 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #5,017 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 2020 | #5,552 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #5,876 | 21 | 0.0013% |
| 2018 | #8,331 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2017 | #7,235 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2016 | #8,175 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2015 | #6,569 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 2014 | #11,389 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2013 | #8,325 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2012 | #10,014 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2011 | #12,686 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #12,811 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2003 | #16,873 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2002 | #14,380 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 2000 | #13,926 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1999 | #11,912 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #13,135 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1996 | #11,060 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1993 | #11,067 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,841 | 86 | 0.0050% |
| 2024 | #1,957 | 80 | 0.0047% |
| 2023 | #1,976 | 78 | 0.0046% |
| 2022 | #1,925 | 81 | 0.0046% |
| 2021 | #1,776 | 90 | 0.0051% |
| 2020 | #2,009 | 71 | 0.0041% |
| 2019 | #1,808 | 85 | 0.0047% |
| 2018 | #1,800 | 85 | 0.0047% |
| 2017 | #2,545 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 2016 | #2,193 | 62 | 0.0033% |
| 2015 | #2,738 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2014 | #3,730 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 2013 | #2,479 | 50 | 0.0026% |
| 2012 | #4,194 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2011 | #3,940 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2010 | #3,856 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 2009 | #5,017 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2008 | #4,457 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2007 | #5,774 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 2006 | #4,426 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 2005 | #6,021 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2004 | #5,957 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #4,186 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 2002 | #7,298 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #5,505 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #4,676 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #3,902 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1998 | #3,915 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1997 | #5,445 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #6,212 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #4,640 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1994 | #3,164 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #3,565 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 1992 | #3,398 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 1991 | #4,920 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1990 | #3,861 | 15 | 0.0007% |
| 1989 | #3,380 | 17 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #3,428 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1987 | #3,266 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1986 | #2,831 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1985 | #2,548 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1984 | #3,356 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #2,528 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1982 | #3,032 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1981 | #2,959 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1980 | #2,779 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 1979 | #3,248 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1978 | #2,724 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1977 | #2,720 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 1976 | #2,881 | 14 | 0.0009% |
| 1975 | #2,492 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1974 | #2,606 | 15 | 0.0010% |
| 1973 | #2,929 | 12 | 0.0008% |
| 1972 | #2,481 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 1971 | #2,503 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1970 | #2,169 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1969 | #2,177 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1968 | #1,807 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1967 | #2,290 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1966 | #2,001 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1965 | #1,693 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1964 | #1,824 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1963 | #1,525 | 27 | 0.0013% |
| 1962 | #1,783 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1961 | #1,354 | 35 | 0.0016% |
| 1960 | #1,389 | 33 | 0.0015% |
| 1959 | #1,347 | 34 | 0.0016% |
| 1958 | #1,464 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 1957 | #1,499 | 28 | 0.0013% |
| 1956 | #1,463 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 1955 | #1,299 | 34 | 0.0017% |
| 1954 | #1,514 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1953 | #1,145 | 42 | 0.0021% |
| 1952 | #1,007 | 51 | 0.0026% |
| 1951 | #1,360 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1950 | #1,211 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 1949 | #1,067 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 1948 | #1,054 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 1947 | #948 | 56 | 0.0031% |
| 1946 | #1,106 | 40 | 0.0025% |
| 1945 | #823 | 58 | 0.0043% |
| 1944 | #925 | 48 | 0.0035% |
| 1943 | #911 | 54 | 0.0038% |
| 1942 | #904 | 54 | 0.0039% |
| 1941 | #861 | 54 | 0.0044% |
| 1940 | #975 | 44 | 0.0038% |
| 1939 | #797 | 59 | 0.0053% |
| 1938 | #721 | 72 | 0.0065% |
| 1937 | #935 | 45 | 0.0042% |
| 1936 | #751 | 65 | 0.0063% |
| 1935 | #854 | 54 | 0.0052% |
| 1934 | #757 | 66 | 0.0064% |
| 1933 | #793 | 60 | 0.0061% |
| 1932 | #832 | 59 | 0.0057% |
| 1931 | #792 | 63 | 0.0061% |
| 1930 | #878 | 57 | 0.0052% |
| 1929 | #739 | 73 | 0.0068% |
| 1928 | #726 | 78 | 0.0070% |
| 1927 | #673 | 91 | 0.0081% |
| 1926 | #590 | 113 | 0.0102% |
| 1925 | #632 | 101 | 0.0091% |
| 1924 | #698 | 88 | 0.0078% |
| 1923 | #627 | 104 | 0.0095% |
| 1922 | #860 | 64 | 0.0059% |
| 1921 | #700 | 86 | 0.0078% |
| 1920 | #651 | 95 | 0.0089% |
| 1919 | #856 | 60 | 0.0061% |
| 1918 | #769 | 72 | 0.0071% |
| 1917 | #851 | 57 | 0.0062% |
| 1916 | #712 | 71 | 0.0080% |
| 1915 | #799 | 58 | 0.0068% |
| 1914 | #782 | 46 | 0.0070% |
| 1913 | #645 | 48 | 0.0094% |
| 1912 | #866 | 27 | 0.0063% |
| 1911 | #952 | 13 | 0.0058% |
| 1910 | #1,080 | 10 | 0.0051% |
| 1909 | #1,214 | 7 | 0.0043% |
| 1908 | #802 | 12 | 0.0078% |
| 1907 | #685 | 15 | 0.0102% |
| 1906 | #824 | 10 | 0.0075% |
| 1905 | #1,328 | 5 | 0.0038% |
| 1904 | #1,020 | 7 | 0.0055% |
| 1902 | #826 | 9 | 0.0073% |
| 1901 | #663 | 11 | 0.0103% |
| 1900 | #407 | 31 | 0.0206% |
| 1899 | #466 | 17 | 0.0160% |
| 1898 | #369 | 28 | 0.0228% |
| 1897 | #247 | 50 | 0.0443% |
| 1896 | #291 | 40 | 0.0335% |
| 1895 | #766 | 9 | 0.0077% |
| 1894 | #1,169 | 5 | 0.0043% |
| 1893 | #1,119 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1892 | #1,162 | 5 | 0.0041% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Jennings
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with J
How the Name Jennings Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
You are always looking for an opportunity to achieve financial and emotional security. You are basically peacemaker. You understand the law of harmony and desire to balance your life with those around you. You may feel incomplete without someone to share your love, ideals, wealth or work. You can be very sensitive and could appear a bit shy and perceptive. You have developed intuition, patience and the ability to nurture others. You can achieve the state of happiness if you are willing to accept your needs in a complimentary relationship and go to create them.
✦ Jennings's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jennings's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.