Jacquelyn is a feminine given name of French origin. It is derived from the masculine French name Jacques, which itself comes from the Latin name Jacominus. The name Jacominus was derived from the Latin word "Jacobus," which means "supplanter" or "held by the heel." This name has biblical origins as it is a variant of Jacob, the son of Isaac and Rebecca in the Old Testament.
The name Jacquelyn gained popularity in English-speaking countries during the 20th century. It was often used as an alternative to the more traditional feminine names like Jacqueline or Jacinta. The name has also been popularized by notable figures such as American actresses Jacqueline Bisset and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, former First Lady of the United States.
In France, Jacquelyn is sometimes used as a diminutive form of Jacquette, which is a pet form of Jacqueline. However, it is not as commonly used in France as it is in English-speaking countries.
The name Jacquelyn has no specific associated traits or characteristics beyond its biblical origins and associations with notable figures. It is simply a feminine given name of French origin that means "held by the heel.
The name Jacquelyn has a fascinating history of popularity and decline in the United States over the past century. In 1907, there were only 9 babies named Jacquelyn, with similar low numbers continuing until 1922. However, the year 1922 marked a turning point as the number of births skyrocketed to 163.
The popularity of the name continued to grow steadily throughout the 1920s and 1930s, reaching its peak in 1947 with 1390 births. This trend persisted into the 1950s, with over 1000 babies named Jacquelyn born each year from 1950 to 1961.
However, starting in the mid-1960s, there was a noticeable decline in the popularity of the name Jacquelyn. By 1972, the number of births had dropped to 667, and it continued to decrease throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Despite this overall decline, there were periods where the popularity of Jacquelyn temporarily increased. For instance, in 1977, there were 727 births, followed by 867 in 1978 and 932 in 1979. However, these spikes did not lead to a sustained increase in popularity.
In the 1990s and early 2000s, the name Jacquelyn continued to lose favor, with fewer than 500 births each year between 1996 and 2004. Since then, the number of babies named Jacquelyn has remained relatively stable, fluctuating between around 100 to 300 births per year.
In recent years, there have been only a few dozen births with the name Jacquelyn each year, with a total of 91 births in 2023. Despite its decline in popularity, Jacquelyn remains a distinctive and historic name that has left its mark on multiple generations of American women.