NameCensus.

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

Jenifer
036811199620092023

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.

Scotland
3

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

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.