Given name & surname · also Old French
Jewel
“one who is playful; resembling a precious gem”
Jewel is used as a given name and a surname. One French interpretation is “one who is playful; resembling a precious gem.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One French interpretation is “one who is playful; resembling a precious gem.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Old French.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Jewel through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 46,728
- 5,243 boys · 41,485 girls
- Most popular year
- 1920
- 959 babies
- 2025
- 150
- #1,514 for girls · #8,547 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −37%
- Cooling
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 4% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 141 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,514 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 37.9% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 826 in 1920. It also appeared in 9 birth records for boys in 2025. In 2025, California and Georgia shared the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (15 each). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 19,581 as a first name in 2020; 847 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.
Jewel’s family of names
In English usage, Jewel has a related form in Jewell. Jewel has a related form in Jewell. Jewel has a related form in Jule.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 9
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Gemmaequivalent
- Gemaequivalent
- Preciousequivalent
- Joyaequivalent
- Joiaequivalent
- Gemequivalent
- Bijouequivalent
- Nakitaequivalent
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See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jewel
- JewelAmerican singer-songwriterborn 1974
- Jewel StaiteCanadian actressborn 1982
- Jewel TaylorLiberian politician, senator from Bong Countyborn 1963
- Jewel Plummer CobbAmerican biologist (1924–2017)
- Jewel ShepardAmerican actressborn 1958
- Jewel BrownAmerican jazz and blues singer1937–2024
- Jewel AhmedBangladeshi swimmer (* 1983)
- Jewel AkensAmerican singer and record producer (1933-2013)
- Jewel AichBangladeshi magicianborn 1950
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jewel, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jeannette
Jeannette is used as a given name and a surname. Jeannette is connected with Jeanne.
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“woman from the East”
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“a grieving woman; one who is sorrowful”
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“fame”
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“a petite woman”
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Marietta
Marietta is used as a given name and a surname. Marietta is connected with Maria and Mary.
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Cecile
Cecile is a feminine given name from French, ultimately from Latin. It is used in English, Cebuano, and Old French.
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