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Jennings

♂ Boy

Pronounced JEHN-ihngz /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪŋz/Medium

Meaning: Yahweh is graciousMedium

In 30 seconds: Jennings is an English name carrying the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious', the sense behind the John family of names.
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Origin MediumEnglish
MeaningYahweh is gracious
U.S. rank (2024)#1957 ↗ Rising
2024 U.S. births80 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1926
Total births (all-time)≈ 4,792

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192618922024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Jennings reaches back to the meaning 'Yahweh is gracious', the same idea found in names of the John lineage. It comes through English usage and has long doubled as a surname before being adopted as a given name. The U.S. Senator Jennings Randolph, who championed the amendment lowering the voting age to 18, carried it as a first name.

With its two clipped syllables and surname feel, Jennings lands as sturdy and old-fashioned in a stately way rather than soft. It suits parents drawn to family-name first names.

Did you know? Jennings likely reached first-name use through a surname or place-name route, which gives it that modern borrowed-from-history feel.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Jennings — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Jennings Randolph (1902-1998)
    American politician who served as a U.S. Senator from West Virginia and championed the 26th Amendment lowering the voting age to 18.

If you like Jennings…

John— The root name carrying the same 'Yahweh is gracious' meaning as Jennings.
Jensen— Another surname-style name from the John family that Jennings echoes.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Jennings mean?

Jennings is usually explained as meaning ' Yahweh is gracious' and is most often linked with English tradition.

How do you pronounce Jennings?

It's commonly said JEHN-ihngz /ˈd͡ʒɛn.ɪŋz/.

Is Jennings a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Jennings is used as a boy name.

How popular is Jennings?

In 2024, Jennings ranked #1957 in the U.S. for boys, with 80 births recorded.