How Many People Are Named Jean?
An estimated 168,190 people in the United States have the first name Jean. While not in the top 50, it remains a well-known name ranking #327 overall. It is predominantly female (94.9%). The average bearer is 68 years old, and Jean peaked in popularity in 1927 with 12,775 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Jean as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Jean paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- With an average bearer age of 68, Jean is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1968.
- Jean has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
168,190
About 1 in 2,038 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Common
Predicted Gender
Female
94.9% confidence
Average Age
68
years old
Peak Year
1927
12,775 births
Total Registered
483,213
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Jean
Jean is predominantly female (94.9%), though 24,863 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Jean as a male name
Ranked #1,139 in 2024
184 male births in 2024
Peak: 1993 (428 births)
Jean as a female name
Ranked #2,411 in 2024
75 female births in 2024
Peak: 1927 (12,512 births)
Jean in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 270,231 people with the first name Jean, which placed it at #198 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Jean was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 270,231 people with this name in that snapshot, 15.6% were male and 84.4% were female. That is less heavily female than the long-run SSA birth pattern on this page, which sits at 94.9% female.
Census Count
270,231
people with this name
Census Rank
#198
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
89.47
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Jean was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (76.67%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (13.26%) and Hispanic (4.93%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Jean in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Jean.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 76.67% | 207,183 |
| Black | 13.26% | 35,840 |
| Hispanic | 4.93% | 13,313 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 3.42% | 9,236 |
| Two or More Races | 1.40% | 3,778 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.32% | 874 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Jean: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Jean span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1920s, when 108,977 babies were registered. Jean has declined significantly from its peak in the 1920s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Jean by Decade
How has Jean tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 1,152 | 152 | 1,000 | |
| 1890s | 2,581 | 185 | 2,396 | |
| 1900s | 6,198 | 267 | 5,931 | |
| 1910s | 40,636 | 1,352 | 39,284 | |
| 1920s | 108,977 | 2,978 | 105,999 | |
| 1930s | 96,238 | 2,049 | 94,189 | |
| 1940s | 81,937 | 1,573 | 80,364 | |
| 1950s | 73,780 | 1,517 | 72,263 | |
| 1960s | 39,110 | 1,829 | 37,281 | |
| 1970s | 13,255 | 2,228 | 11,027 | |
| 1980s | 7,476 | 2,618 | 4,858 | |
| 1990s | 4,817 | 2,968 | 1,849 | |
| 2000s | 3,446 | 2,617 | 829 | |
| 2010s | 2,536 | 1,829 | 707 | |
| 2020s | 1,074 | 701 | 373 | |
Jean by State
Birth registrations for Jean span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, Pennsylvania, Illinois. The lowest are in Nevada, Alaska, Wyoming. On average, about 9,115 Jeans were registered per state.
Jean + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Jean as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Jean
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
Jean: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jean?
We estimate approximately 168,190 people named Jean are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 2,038 Americans share this first name.
Is Jean a common name?
Jean is classified as "Common" and is more popular than 99.7% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 483,213 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Jean most popular?
Jean reached peak popularity in 1927, when 12,775 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Jean is approximately 68 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Jean in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 270,231 people with the first name Jean. That placed it at #198 in the published Census first-name tables, or 89.47 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Jean was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Jean?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Jean was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 15.6% male and 84.4% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Jean?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Jean was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (76.67%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (13.26%) and Hispanic (4.93%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Jean a female name?
Jean is predominantly female. 94.9% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Jean have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Jean peaked in 1927, and the average living bearer is about 68 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Jean Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Jean Smith, Jean Johnson, Jean Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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