Given name & surname
Jenna
“one who is fair; a beautiful girl”
Jenna is a variant of Jennifer. One Welsh interpretation is “one who is fair; a beautiful girl.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Jenna is a variant of Jennifer. One Welsh interpretation is “one who is fair; a beautiful girl.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Jenna is a variant of Jennifer. An origin associated with Jennifer is Celtic.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Jenna is a diminutive of Jennifer.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1915. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Jenna is a variant of Jenny. The history of Jenny gives this family its wider story. In the Middle Ages, Jenny was used as an affectionate form of Jean.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Jenna through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 148,842
- 255 boys · 148,587 girls
- Most popular year
- 1985
- 6,454 babies
- 2025
- 418
- #679 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −38%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 418 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 679 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 38.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 6,436 in 1985. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (42). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 140,773 as a first name in 2020; 121 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jenna’s family of names
In English usage, Jenna is a diminutive of Jennifer. In English usage, Jenna shares an earlier linguistic root with Janet. In English usage, Jenna has a related form in Jenny.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jenna has relatives in 3 languages.
23 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 24
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Joannaequivalent
- Jessiedoublet · English
- Janelledoublet · English
- Johannaequivalent
- Ivankadoublet · English
- Jeanettedoublet · English
- Joaniedoublet · English
- Janetdoublet · English
Show 16 moreShow fewer
- Vannadoublet · English
- Jodydoublet · English
- Jandoublet · English
- Janeydoublet · English
- Jodoublet · English
- Hennaequivalent
- Jennahequivalent
- Jenaequivalent
- Jeannettedoublet · English
- Janinedoublet · English
- Jeaniedoublet · English
- Jonnaequivalent
- Sineaddoublet · English
- Jeanninedoublet · English
- Shanaedoublet · English
- Jendoublet · English
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jenna
- Jenna OrtegaAmerican actress (born 2002)
- Jenna ColemanBritish actressborn 1986
- Jenna DewanAmerican actress, dancer and model (born 1980)
- Jenna FischerAmerican actressborn 1974
- Jenna ElfmanAmerican actress and producerborn 1971
- Jenna UshkowitzKorean-American actress and singerborn 1986
- Jenna MarblesAmerican YouTube personality (born 1986)
- Jenna Bush HagerAmerican journalist, author, and television personalityborn 1981
- Jenna von OÿAmerican actressborn 1977
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jenna, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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