Total births
2,456
Boys' name · since 1884
Jens
2,456 babies named Jens in U.S. Social Security records since 1884, with the highest year being 1966. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #4435
- among boys today
- 2,456
- born since 1884
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- Jens is the #4435 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 2,456 recorded since 1884.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jens has been recorded 2,456 times among boys since 1884, currently ranked #4435 nationally and more common than 69% of boys, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1884 to 2025.
- #4435 among boys today
- 2,456 born since 1884
- 1980s peak decade
- 69% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jens is currently the #4435 boys' name in America, more common than 69% of boys - 2,456 born since 1884, peaking in the 1980s.
- #4435
- among boys today
- 2,456
- born since 1884
- 1980s
- peak decade
- 69%
- more common than other boys
Jens vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#4435
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 69% of names given to boys today.
1980s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Jens was born in this single decade.
1966
Single peak year
39 babies were named Jens in 1966 - its busiest year on record.
How Jens compares
2,456 Top 19% higher than 81% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Jens's all-time total is 7x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jens | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 2,456 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 39 | 23 | 22,252 |
Jens's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Jens's full recorded timeline at 1963, 69% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 31% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1902, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1966 peak of 39 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Jens at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1966
Current rank
#4,435
Active since
1884
Jens popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1884–2025
- Peak year (1966)
- 39
- Annual births at peak, across 142 years of records
Jens by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1980s was Jens's strongest decade.
319 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Jens births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 21
1880s
21 births
- 1890s 26
1890s
26 births
- 1900s 12
1900s
12 births
- 1910s
1910s
142 births
- 1920s
1920s
145 births
- 1930s 98
1930s
98 births
- 1940s 114
1940s
114 births
- 1950s
1950s
160 births
- 1960s
1960s
234 births
- 1970s
1970s
265 births
- 1980s
1980s
319 births
- 1990s
1990s
305 births
- 2000s
2000s
257 births
- 2010s
2010s
232 births
- 2020s 126
2020s
126 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 319 births (13% of all-time use).
How Jens compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Jens's total volume
Jens vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Jens by state
Where Jens concentrates geographically, total births since 1884
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 148 | 6.0% |
| #2 | Minnesota | | 56 | 2.3% |
| #3 | Utah | | 56 | 2.3% |
| #4 | Washington | | 28 | 1.1% |
| #5 | Wisconsin | | 17 | 0.7% |
| #6 | Iowa | | 15 | 0.6% |
| #7 | Illinois | | 6 | 0.2% |
| #8 | Georgia | | 5 | 0.2% |
California share of Jens's total US births 6.0%
Even split
148 of 2,456 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 10 reporting states.
Jens appears in 10 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jens? ▼
Jens has been given to 2,456 babies in the U.S. since 1884, according to SSA data. Among boys, it ranks #4435 as of the latest data. 39 babies were born in 1966, its single highest year.
When was Jens most popular? ▼
Jens was most popular in the 1980s decade with 319 total births. The single peak year was 1966.
Where is Jens most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jens are California (148 births), Minnesota (56 births), Utah (56 births).
How long has the name Jens been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Jens since 1884 -- 142 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Jens? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jensen, Jennings, Jennifer, Jenson, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Jens's data
- Jens's usage has stayed within range of its 1980s decade-level peak (319 total births) through the 2020s (126) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Jenss (148 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 Jens
Nearby Names Like Jens
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jens
Jensen Boy
#328 17,347 births
Jennings Boy
#1959 4,878 births
Jennifer Boy
4,837 births
Jenson Boy
#1349 2,849 births
Jencarlos Boy
#8800 1,099 births
Compare Jens side by side: Jens vs Jensen Jens vs Jennings Jens vs Jennifer
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jens
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, 1884–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jens: #4435 Boys' Name - 2,456 Births, Peak 1966." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jens. 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 Jens 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.