Given name
Jolene
“God will add”·“God shall add”
Jolene is a feminine form of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Jolene carries the interpretation “God will add.” Jolene is a feminine form of Joseph. Yosef means “God shall add,” traditionally understood as a hope that God would add another son to the family.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
Jolene is used as a feminine counterpart of Joseph. Jolene is a feminine form of Joseph. The shared background comes through Joseph: The English and French name continues the biblical Hebrew form Yosef. The idea of adding is part of the name’s original family context, rather than a later personality interpretation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1918. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Jolene is a feminine form of Joseph. The history of Joseph gives this family its wider story. In Genesis, Joseph is Jacob’s son who is taken to Egypt and later reconciled with his brothers. In the New Testament, Joseph is also the husband of Mary, giving the name a distinct place in Christian tradition.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Jolene through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 36,236
- 12 boys · 36,224 girls
- Most popular year
- 1974
- 1,060 babies
- 2025
- 423
- #666 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −14%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 423 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 666 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 14.1% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,053 in 1974. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (68). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 28,115 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jolene’s family of names
Jolene is a feminine form of Joseph. In English usage, Jolene has a related form in Joe. In English usage, Jolene has a related form in Jo.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 18
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 6
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jolene
- Jolene BlalockActress and modelborn 1975
- Jolene PurdyAmerican actressborn 1983
- Jolene AndersonAustralian actress, singerborn 1980
- Jolene AndersonAmerican basketball player (born 1986)
- Jolene UnsoeldAmerican politician1931–2021
- Jolene WatanabeAmerican tennis player (1968–2019)
- Jolene IveyAmerican politicianborn 1961
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Jolene, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Fina
“God will add” · “God shall add”
>99% girls
Rae
“son of grace”
3% boys · 97% girls
Dana
“woran from Denmark” · “dane”
9% boys · 91% girls
Joosepe
“God shall add”
—
Josèphe
“God shall add”
>99% girls
Josée
“God shall add”
>99% girls
Joséphine
“God shall add”
>99% girls
Annmarie
“filled with bitter grace”
>99% girls