Total births
1,471,703
Girls' name · since 1919
Jennifer
Since 1919, U.S. Social Security records show 1,471,703 babies named Jennifer, peaking in 1972. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #546
- among girls today
- 1,471,703
- born since 1919
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Jennifer is the #546 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 1,471,703 recorded since 1919.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jennifer has been recorded 1,471,703 times among girls since 1919, currently ranked #546 nationally and more common than 97% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1919 to 2025.
- #546 among girls today
- 1,471,703 born since 1919
- 1970s peak decade
- 97% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jennifer is currently the #546 girls' name in America, more common than 97% of girls - 1,471,703 born since 1919, peaking in the 1970s.
- #546
- among girls today
- 1,471,703
- born since 1919
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 97%
- more common than other girls
Jennifer vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#546
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 97% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
40% of everyone ever named Jennifer was born in this single decade.
1972
Single peak year
63,600 babies were named Jennifer in 1972 - its busiest year on record.
How Jennifer compares
1,471,703 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Jennifer's all-time total is 3,853x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jennifer | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,471,703 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 63,600 | 48 | 19,840 |
Jennifer's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Jennifer splits its recorded history at 1972: 78% of all births land in the more recent half, 22% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1921 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1972 peak of 63,600 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Jennifer at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
1972
Current rank
#546
Active since
1919
Jennifer popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1919–2025
- Peak year (1972)
- 63,600
- Annual births at peak, across 107 years of records
Jennifer popularity over time - boys
4,837 total births recorded since 1946 (Jennifer as boys' name)
Jennifer by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Jennifer's strongest decade.
581,729 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 40% of all-time use.
Jennifer births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 6
1910s
6 births
- 1920s 86
1920s
86 births
- 1930s 368
1930s
368 births
- 1940s 10,685
1940s
10,685 births
- 1950s 43,075
1950s
43,075 births
- 1960s 164,413
1960s
164,413 births
- 1970s
1970s
581,729 births
- 1980s
1980s
440,914 births
- 1990s 148,041
1990s
148,041 births
- 2000s 63,509
2000s
63,509 births
- 2010s 15,253
2010s
15,253 births
- 2020s 3,624
2020s
3,624 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 581,729 births (40% of all-time use).
How Jennifer compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Jennifer's total volume
Jennifer vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Jennifer by state
Where Jennifer concentrates geographically, total births since 1919
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 175,689 | 11.9% |
| #2 | New York | | 112,121 | 7.6% |
| #3 | Texas | | 99,824 | 6.8% |
| #4 | Illinois | | 77,170 | 5.2% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 75,085 | 5.1% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 72,947 | 5.0% |
| #7 | Michigan | | 60,487 | 4.1% |
| #8 | Florida | | 54,732 | 3.7% |
California share of Jennifer's total US births 11.9%
Even split
175,689 of 1,471,703 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Jennifer appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jennifer? ▼
Since 1919, Social Security records show 1,471,703 babies named Jennifer. Today it holds rank #546 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1972, with 63,600 births.
When was Jennifer most popular? ▼
Jennifer was most popular in the 1970s decade with 581,729 total births. The single peak year was 1972.
Where is Jennifer most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jennifer are California (175,689 births), New York (112,121 births), Texas (99,824 births).
How long has the name Jennifer been used? ▼
Jennifer has been recorded in Social Security data since 1919, spanning 107 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Jennifer? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jenna, Jennie, Jenny, Jenifer, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Jennifer's data
- Jennifer's decade-level peak was the 1970s (581,729 total births); usage has since declined to 3,624 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Jennifers (175,689 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Jennifer
Nearby Names Like Jennifer
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jennifer
Jenna Girl
#683 148,587 births
Jennie Girl
#1753 127,181 births
Jenny Girl
#1391 92,101 births
Jenifer Girl
#5637 25,551 births
Jena Girl
#6664 13,241 births
Compare Jennifer side by side: Jennifer vs Jenna Jennifer vs Jennie Jennifer vs Jenny
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jennifer
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1919–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jennifer: #546 Girls' Name - 1,471,703 Births, Peak 1972." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jennifer. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Jennifer draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.