Origin of Jean
Jean is a feminine form of John, which comes from the Hebrew for “gift from God.” The English form Jean comes from the French Jeanne. There are many variations of Jean, including Jane, Joan, Joanna, Jeannette and Jehan.
History of Jean
Jean and its variants were popular in England and Scotland during the Middle Ages. The name remained popular in Scotland but fell out of favour in England for a time. In the 19th century when interest in Scottish culture revived, it again became well-liked.
The French form of Jean, Jeanne, has also been popular. Jeanne d’Arc is French for Joan of Arc. There were also several Queens of Navarre named Jeanne. In the 14th century, Jeanne de Flandre was married to John Montfort, who claimed the title Duke of Brittany. When he was captured fighting for it, the undaunted Jeanne put on armour and went to fight in his stead. Her son finally won the dukedom.
Popularity of Jean
Despite its past, Jean did not make the top 100 girls’ names in 2015.
Famous Jeans
Jean Harlow was a popular movie actress of the 1930s who often starred with Clark Gable.
Useful Resources
Discover the meaning and popularity of other girls names on our website.
