Fun Facts About the Name Jeter
- More than 1 thousand babies named Jeter: U.S. records list 1,057 babies given the name Jeter from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jeter Mean?
Jeter is an English surname used as a given name, and its root is Old French. It comes from the Old French verb geter (modern French jeter), meaning "to throw," together with the agent ending -eor (modern French -eur). The literal sense is therefore "thrower" or "caster," and it was most likely an occupational byname for someone who cast metal or threw something in the course of a trade.
A second explanation treats it as a name for a worker in jet, the black gemstone (whose name comes from Greek gagates), but the "thrower" derivation is the one more commonly given, and the precise sense behind the medieval byname is not certain.
Jeter Name History & Origins
The surname Jeter belongs to the stock of Anglo-Norman family names that entered England after the Norman Conquest, formed from Old French vocabulary. Spellings such as Jeter and Jetter are found in English records, and the shift from the older French geter to jeter reflects the normal development of the language on both sides of the Channel.
The name was carried to North America by English-speaking colonists and is found there as a family name. Its use as a first name is a transferred surname use and has remained uncommon; it gained wider public recognition through the baseball shortstop Derek Jeter (born 1974), though the name's use as a given name does not depend on that association.
How Popular is the Name Jeter?
Jeter has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2015. Its best rank was #2,042 in 2015.
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 | #3,273 | 36 | 0.0021% |
| 2024 | #2,921 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2023 | #3,588 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 2022 | #2,732 | 48 | 0.0028% |
| 2021 | #3,043 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 2020 | #2,816 | 43 | 0.0025% |
| 2019 | #2,743 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 2018 | #2,820 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 2017 | #2,546 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 2016 | #3,475 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2015 | #2,042 | 70 | 0.0037% |
| 2014 | #3,124 | 36 | 0.0019% |
| 2013 | #3,451 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 2012 | #2,928 | 40 | 0.0021% |
| 2011 | #3,079 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 2010 | #2,566 | 48 | 0.0025% |
| 2009 | #3,011 | 39 | 0.0020% |
| 2008 | #3,875 | 27 | 0.0013% |
| 2007 | #4,181 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 2006 | #5,410 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2005 | #4,720 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #4,067 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #5,394 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2002 | #5,886 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2001 | #5,259 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #5,162 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1999 | #8,258 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1998 | #10,383 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1955 | #4,123 | 5 | 0.0002% |
| 1954 | #3,627 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1949 | #3,958 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #3,487 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1941 | #3,312 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1940 | #3,700 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1935 | #3,109 | 7 | 0.0007% |
| 1933 | #3,908 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1932 | #4,036 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1931 | #4,048 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1930 | #2,887 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1928 | #3,532 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1926 | #3,949 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1925 | #2,670 | 11 | 0.0010% |
| 1924 | #3,669 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1923 | #4,542 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1922 | #3,698 | 7 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #2,893 | 10 | 0.0009% |
| 1920 | #4,628 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1919 | #3,255 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1918 | #4,479 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1917 | #2,636 | 10 | 0.0011% |
| 1916 | #2,824 | 9 | 0.0010% |
| 1915 | #4,103 | 5 | 0.0006% |
| 1914 | #3,502 | 5 | 0.0008% |
| 1912 | #2,422 | 6 | 0.0014% |
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.
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How the Name Jeter 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.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Jeter's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jeter's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.