Jennifer is a popular female given name with origins in Wales. It comes from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, which means "fair shade" or "white wave." The name was popularized by Sir Thomas Malory's 15th-century Arthurian legend, Le Morte d'Arthur, where it appears as Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur.
The spelling Jennifer emerged in English-speaking countries during the 20th century. It is believed to have been coined by a Scottish writer named Catherine Sinclair, who used it in her 1835 novel "Geoffrey or Charles and Godfrey," although it did not become widespread until much later.
The name Jennifer has gained popularity due to its beautiful sound and its association with the strong female character of Guinevere. It reached peak popularity in English-speaking countries during the late 20th century, particularly in the United States, where it was the second most popular girl's name between 1970 and 1984.
Today, Jennifer remains a widely recognized and loved name, with variations such as Jenna, Jenny, Jenni, and Jennafer also being commonly used. Despite its Welsh origins, the name has been embraced by many cultures around the world and is now considered an international name.
The given statistics show the number of births for the name Jannifer in the United States from 1944 to 2001. The name's popularity varied throughout this period, with some years seeing more than twenty births and others seeing fewer than ten.
In the early years, the name was relatively uncommon, with only six births recorded in both 1944 and 1948. However, it began to gain traction in the late 1940s and early 1950s, reaching a peak of twenty-one births in 1956.
After this peak, the popularity of the name fluctuated but remained relatively stable throughout the 1960s and 1970s. There were nineteen or more births each year from 1964 to 1979, with a high of thirty-one births in 1981.
However, starting in the late 1980s, there was a significant decline in the popularity of the name Jannifer. Between 1986 and 2001, there were fewer than twenty births each year for this name. The lowest point occurred in 1996, with only five births recorded.
Overall, despite its ups and downs in popularity over the years, the name Jannifer has a total of 855 births recorded in the United States from 1944 to 2001.