Holding steady.
Popularity of Jerline since 1914
Babies named Jerline per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1940, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Jerline's real moment was 1932.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 39 |
| 1920s | 213 |
| 1930s | 323 |
| 1940s | 340 |
| 1950s | 177 |
| 1960s | 41 |
| 1970s | 0 |
| 1980s | 0 |
| 1990s | 5 |
| 2000s | 0 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Jerline is a rare American feminine given name that saw its highest usage in the early 20th century, particularly during the 1930s. It first appeared in U.S. records in 1914, and its peak year was 1932, though it never entered the top 1000 rankings. The name likely emerged as a variant of Geraldine or a similar coinage, reflecting a trend of elaborate feminine names with the '-line' suffix. Despite its decline, Jerline has maintained a stable trajectory, appearing sporadically in recent decades. Its absence from top states suggests a scattered, non-regional pattern of use.
Jerline appears to be a 20th-century elaboration or variant of Geraldine, which itself derives from the Germanic name Gerald, composed of *ger* 'spear' and *wald* 'rule'. The name Geraldine emerged in the 19th century, and variants like Jerline likely arose in the United States during the early 1900s, possibly influenced by surnames or coined as a feminine form. However, the exact etymology of Jerline is not firmly established.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Jeri, Jerry, Line
Sibling names for Jerline
Names that share Jerline's style, for a brother or sister.
