UK girl's name
Jenifer
A feminine given name of English origin meaning "the fair one".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Jenifer is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Jenifer popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1998, with 11 births.
This profile covers 156 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 27% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 225 living people in the UK are called Jenifer. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jenifer ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1998, when 11 girls were registered as Jenifer.
- • Jenifer ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #664 in 1998.
- • About 225 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jenifer as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5687
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
1998
11 births
Estimated living
225
2026
Meaning
What does Jenifer mean?
The name Jenifer is an English feminine name derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, which means "smooth, white wave" or "fair wanderer." It is also a variant of the name Jennifer, which is a Cornish form of the Welsh name.
The earliest recorded use of the name Jenifer dates back to the 16th century in England. It is believed that the name gained popularity due to its association with the legendary Queen Guinevere, the wife of King Arthur in Arthurian legends. The name Gwenhwyfar was adapted into various forms, including Jenever, Jenifer, and Jennifer.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Jenifer was Jenifer Walwyn, an English writer and translator who lived in the late 16th century. She is known for her translation of French works into English, including the writings of Michel de Montaigne.
In the 17th century, Jenifer Browning was a prominent figure in English history. She was born in 1628 and was a Puritan writer and activist who advocated for religious freedom and women's rights. Her works included several pamphlets and treatises on religious and political topics.
During the 18th century, Jenifer Hendricks was a notable American artist and portraitist. Born in 1745 in Maryland, she was known for her realistic and detailed portraits of prominent figures in the American colonies.
In the 19th century, Jenifer Wilkinson was a British writer and poet who gained recognition for her romantic poetry and novels. She was born in 1810 and published several works, including "The Wandering Heart" and "Echoes of the Past."
Another notable figure with the name Jenifer was Jenifer Osceola, a Seminole leader and activist born in 1833. She played a crucial role in the Seminole Wars, resisting the forced removal of her tribe from their ancestral lands in Florida.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Jenifer. The name's rich history and connection to Welsh and Arthurian legends have contributed to its enduring popularity and cultural significance.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jenifer over time
The chart below shows babies named Jenifer registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jenifer, the clearest high point is 1998. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 11 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jenifer by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jenifer was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4403 | 15 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4304 | 39 | 8 |
| 2000s | #2745 | 70 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2117 | 32 | 4 |
Geography
Where Jenifer is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jenifer. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Jenifer ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #664 in 1998.
Across the UK
Jenifer in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#664 in 1998
16 years of NRS records, 71 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Jenifer
-
Jenifer Papararo
visual artist
Curator and writer of contemporary art
1966-
-
Jenifer Jones
visual artist
1940-
-
Jenifer Haselgrove
physicist; mathematician
British physicist and computer scientist (1930-2015)
1930-2015
-
Jenifer Peters
badminton player
badminton player
1920-
-
Jenifer Wayne
writer; children's writer
British writer (1917–1982)
1917-1982
-
Jenifer Hart
historian; civil servant
British civil servant and historian (1914–2005)
1914-2005
Related
Names similar to Jenifer
- Jessica 105,041
- Jasmine 35,227
- Jade 19,646
- Julia 11,780
- Jennifer 11,529
- Jodie 9,357
- Jemima 6,454
- Josephine 5,889
- Jessie 5,418
- Josie 5,284
- Jasmin 4,706
- Jenna 4,646
FAQ
Jenifer: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jenifer in the UK right now?
In 2023, Jenifer was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Jenifer most popular?
The peak year on record was 1998, with 11 babies registered as Jenifer in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jenifer?
A feminine given name of English origin meaning "the fair one".
How many people are called Jenifer in the UK?
A total of 156 babies have been registered as Jenifer across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 71 more in Scotland.
Where is Jenifer most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Jenifer ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #664 in 1998. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.