Jeanette is caught right in the middle of names that are on-trend and heating up and those that are passed by as dated and old. This daintily French girl name isn’t on many parents’ shortlists quite yet, but many people are definitely starting to warm to Jeanette for her compliance with many of the latest trends for girl names. So, is Jeanette best set aside until her expected revival time arrives and she sounds truly fresh? Or is Jeanette on the brink of a big boom in popularity, and for good reason? Today, I’m investigating the pros and cons of the 40’s favorite name Jeanette to see whether or not the recent -ette trends will lift Jeanette out of the shadows and into mainstream use and popularity.
Pros
Jeanette has the coveted -ette ending that has become a modern day staple for a feminine and frilly girl name. White-hot trendy girl names like Juliette, Scarlett, and Violet all bear this stunning ending that offers the name a vintage twist in some cases and some drama and sass in others. Because Jeanette’s ending aligns with that of some of the trendier girl names of the decade, it’s pretty safe to assume that parents will soon stumble upon Jeanette when looking for an alternative to the more popular and stylish -ettes.
But even though Jeanette rings vintage, her nicknames are varied. The up-to-the minute Jett feels fit for a little girl that suits a more modern moniker, and the more mom-aged Jenny still feels bright and cheery, even if it isn’t incredibly contemporary. There’s also an array of vintage style nicknames for a family that enjoys the retro vibes of Jeanette, such as Annie or Nettie, which offers a quirky twist to Nellie and Etta. Not only that, Jeanette’s roots are deep and in demand. Jeanette is of French origin, as many names, such as Colette, with the -ette ending are, giving her a romantic flair. To be more specific about the origin story of this name, Jeanette is the French variation of the English Jean, and hence makes the perfect honor name update for a Grandma, Auntie, or friend Jean. Jeanette also ties in with John and Jane, and her connection to that family of names makes her even more of an adaptable honor name for many people and their growing families. So not only does she make a wonderful name that blends in with modern day trends, but she also can honor generations of loved ones. And the cherry on top is Jeanette’s beautiful meaning, “God is gracious.” Although some may contradict and say that Jeanette is simply an outdated name that happens to coexist with many trends today, the pros show that Jeanette has many redeeming qualities.
Cons
Well, to start things off, Jeanette peaked in 1939. Now, I don’t know if you’ve ever heard of the 100 year rule, but I happen to discuss it quite frequently, and it’s a pretty basic principle. Once a name peaks, or reaches its most popular, the trends and stars align approximately 100 years later, when all of the older bearers of the name that gave it a dated reputation are gone and the name feels fresh and new, yet familiar. So, one would estimate, with the 100 year rule in mind, that around 2040, Jeanette would come back into daycares and onto shortlists, and unfortunately for Jeanette, it’s 2020. (Unfortunate for more reasons than one…) Anyway, the majority of bearers of the name Jeanette are in their 80s, which doesn’t lend itself to parents thinking of the name as an appropriate one for a baby. Instead, parents think of the name as an appropriate name for an adult. To make things worse, Jeanette was quite popular in her glory days, peaking at #82, meaning that she’s quite attached and associated with that time period until her 100 year lull expires. And Jeanette hasn’t even recently disappeared from the top 1000. The last time Jeanette saw the list was in 2002, which means that those women are now 18, adults. Because of all of these statistics, it soon becomes clear that the data is certainly not stacked in Jeanette’s favor.
Not only that, Jeanette seems relatively easy to say on paper, but when it comes to trying to spell Jeanette, which is pronounced Juh-net, not Jean-et, it’s likely a younger Jeanette would be getting Jenette and Janette on her Starbucks cups constantly. On that train of thought, let’s discuss Janet. While the trendy Juliette matches up somewhat with Jeanette, Jeanette’s visual characteristics align more with dated names like Janet, who peaked in 1938, and Jean (who's actually likely to have a revival soon, as she peaked in 1929 and the June names are gaining speed lately.) So Jeanette may not look very fresh and appetizing to parents skimming through naming websites and baby naming books.
Predictions For Jeanette:
Jeanette is a really tricky name to predict for, and that is part of why I chose her for today’s name profile. But I honestly think that it will be a matter of five years before Jeanette sees the light of the top 1000 again. Only 126 baby girls received the name Jeanette in 2019, and the #1000 name, Dixie, only had 256 babies bearing the name. This means that the required amount of children to reach the top 1000 is 256, at least right now, and it’s not too ambitious a goal for a name with all of the right sounds in all of the right places to strive to achieve. I think that Jeanette has a bright future ahead of her, and I’m guessing that her use will continue to mount as her revival time draws nearer.
Sincerely,
~Delphina Moon
What do you think about the name Jeanette? Do you have a favorite name that you would enjoy reading about? Comment down below or submit my form in the Contact tab to get your idea published!
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