girl's name
Jacquelyn
JAK-wuh-lin
- Origin American
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 9
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 85,876
Scotland
#560
1994 births
Jacquelyn means supplanter, and the chain is long — it is an American respelling of Jacqueline, the French feminine of Jacques, which is James, which is Jacob. Its strongest market is the United States, at 2277th.
- Jacquelyn is a name of American origin.
- Peaked in 1951, when 1,906 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 41,442 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1907.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jacquelyn over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1900s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 20 |
| 1910s | 241 |
| 1920s | 3,030 |
| 1930s | 6,811 |
| 1940s | 10,696 |
| 1950s | 14,832 |
| 1960s | 11,147 |
| 1970s | 7,356 |
| 1980s | 13,448 |
| 1990s | 10,036 |
| 2000s | 5,042 |
| 2010s | 2,057 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 591 |
What Jacquelyn means
Jacquelyn means supplanter, or one who follows, carried from Jacob. The Hebrew relates to the heel Jacob grasps at birth in the Genesis account of his twin's delivery.
Where Jacquelyn comes from
Jacquelyn respells Jacqueline, the French feminine of Jacques, from the Latin Iacomus — a late variant of Iacobus that also gave English James, while the older form gave Jacob directly. The Hebrew Ya'aqov is glossed both as heel-grabber and as supplanter, and Genesis has him born gripping his twin's heel before taking Esau's birthright. The -lyn ending is American, from the same fashion that produced Carolyn, Marilyn and Katelyn.
Jacquelyn in use
Jacquelyn peaked in the United States in 1951, when 1,906 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 2,277th in the United States on 80 births, across 85,876 lifetime births. Jacqueline, the French spelling, is written up separately and holds far more volume.
How popular is Jacquelyn?
In 2025, Jacquelyn was given to 80 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Jacquelyn 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 Jacquelyn
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Jacquelyn also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jacquelyn over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Jacquelyn
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.
Jacquelyn 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.
- Dutch
- Jacqueline
- French
- Jacqueline
Sibling names for Jacquelyn
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Jacquelyn — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Jacquelyn
What does the name Jacquelyn mean?
Supplanter, carried from Jacob through Jacques and Jacqueline.
Are James and Jacob the same name?
Yes. A late Latin variant of Iacobus gave James and Jacques; the older form gave Jacob.
Is Jacquelyn a French spelling?
No — it is an American respelling of the French Jacqueline.
How popular is Jacquelyn?
2277th in the United States, the only market where it charts.
Is Jacquelyn a girl's or a boy's name?
Jacquelyn is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jacquelyn?
Jacquelyn has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Jacquelyn?
Jacquelyn is usually shortened to Jackie.
Is Jacquelyn a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jacquelyn currently ranks #2,277 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.