girl's name
Jacqueline
JAK-uh-lin (English)
- Origin French
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 10
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 815,549
the United States
#558
2025 births
Jacqueline is a girl's name, the French feminine of Jacques, and it inherits the meaning supplanter from Jacob. It peaked in 1964, the year after Jacqueline Kennedy became the most photographed woman in the world.
- Jacqueline is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in 1964, when 12,023 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 6,128 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1891.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jacqueline Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 55 |
| 1900s | 299 |
| 1910s | 1,740 |
| 1920s | 17,927 |
| 1930s | 32,238 |
| 1940s | 45,680 |
| 1950s | 60,589 |
| 1960s | 84,691 |
| 1970s | 38,120 |
| 1980s | 51,839 |
| 1990s | 46,108 |
| 2000s | 32,197 |
| 2010s | 12,390 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,606 |
What Jacqueline Means
Jacqueline means supplanter, or one who follows and takes the place of another. The Hebrew name behind it is usually explained by the story of Jacob taking his brother's birthright, though that reading may itself be a narrative gloss.
Where Jacqueline Comes From
Jacqueline is the French feminine of Jacques, which comes through the Latin Iacobus from the Hebrew Ya'aqov — Jacob. The traditional meaning, supplanter, comes from the Genesis account in which Jacob is born holding his twin's heel and later takes both his birthright and his blessing; the Hebrew for heel is aqev, and whether the name derives from that or the story was built to explain the name is an old question. French formed the feminine in the medieval period, and English borrowed it whole. The pet form Jackie is shared with the masculine Jack, which comes from John rather than from Jacques.
Jacqueline in Use
Jacqueline peaked in the United States in 1964, when 12,023 babies were registered — the year after the assassination of John F. Kennedy, when Jacqueline Kennedy was the most photographed woman alive. It now ranks 558th in the United States on 541 births, 753rd in Ireland, 1,914th in England and Wales and 2,865th in France, across 815,549 lifetime births in five markets.
How Popular Is Jacqueline?
In 2025, Jacqueline was given to 541 babies in the United States, ranking #558 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Jacqueline Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Jacqueline
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Jacqueline Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jacqueline over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Jacqueline
- English JAK-uh-lin /ˈdʒæk.ə.lɪn/
2 nicknames for Jacqueline
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Jacqueline in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Jacqueline
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Jacqueline — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Jacqueline
What does the name Jacqueline mean?
Supplanter, inherited from Jacob through the French Jacques.
Is Jacqueline the feminine of Jack?
No — of Jacques, from Jacob. Jack comes from John, a different name entirely, though both share the pet form Jackie.
When was Jacqueline most popular?
It peaked in 1964, the year after John F. Kennedy's assassination.
How popular is Jacqueline?
558th in the United States and 753rd in Ireland.
Is Jacqueline a girl's or a boy's name?
Jacqueline is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jacqueline?
Jacqueline has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Jacqueline?
Jacqueline is usually shortened to Jackie and Jacqui.
Is Jacqueline a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jacqueline currently ranks #558 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.