Jolene
Jolene is a girl's name of English origin.
Meaning
Combination of Jo (God is gracious) and the suffix -lene.
Origin and history
Jolene is a 20th-century invented American name created by combining the prefix Jo with the popular name suffix -lene. The name gained widespread global recognition following Dolly Parton's iconic 1973 country hit song of the same title. It has experienced a steady resurgence in contemporary U.S. usage, consistently ranking among the top 1,000 girl names.
Popularity in the United States
36,224 babies in the United States have been named Jolene since 1880. It ranks #730 all-time. Among babies born since 2020 it ranks #528.
States where it is most popular
- CA (13.8 %)
- PA (6 %)
- IA (5.4 %)
- TX (5.4 %)
- MN (5.3 %)
Trends by decade
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880-1890 | 0 |
| 1890-1900 | 0 |
| 1900-1910 | 0 |
| 1910-1920 | 14 |
| 1920-1930 | 226 |
| 1930-1940 | 999 |
| 1940-1950 | 2,347 |
| 1950-1960 | 4,820 |
| 1960-1970 | 4,789 |
| 1970-1980 | 6,018 |
| 1980-1990 | 5,293 |
| 1990-2000 | 1,784 |
| 2000-2010 | 1,966 |
| 2010-2019 | 4,514 |
| 2020-2029 | 3,454 |
Famous people named Jolene
- Jolene Blalock: Actress, Model
- Jolene Unsoeld: Politician, Author
- Jolene Purdy: Actress
Nicknames
Jo, Jojo, Lene
Fun facts
- The name achieved lasting fame from Dolly Parton's 1973 hit song 'Jolene'.
- Jolene emerged in the mid-20th century as part of a trend of combining 'Jo' with melodic suffixes.