Jacqueline is a given name, the French feminine form of Jacques, also commonly used in the English-speaking world. Older forms and variant spellings were sometimes given to men.
Origins
Jacqueline comes from French, as the feminine form of Jacques (English James). Jacques originated from Jacob, which is derived from the Hebrew.[1]
Variant and diminutive forms
Many variants in both spelling and pronunciation of the name Jacqueline have come into use, such as Jacquelyn, Jackeline, Jaclyn, Jakelin, Jackielyn, Jacklyn, and Jaqueline. The diminutive for Jacqueline is Jac, Jack, Jackie, Jaque or Jacqui, which also has many variants.[2]
American usage
Jacqueline, Countess of Hainaut was a famous early bearer of the name. She was the subject of the 1831 popular historical novel Jacqueline of Holland by Irish novelist Thomas Colley Grattan. The name was in rare, occasional use in the Southern United States in the 1800s. It first appeared among the 1,000 most used names for American newborn girls in 1898 and reached peak usage in 1950, when it was the 55th most popular name given to American girls. It was regarded by American parents as a feminine version of the name Jack.[3]
The name then declined in use by the late 1950s, but increased again in popularity in the early 1960s due to the fame of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, née Jacqueline Lee Bouvier, often referred to as Jackie Kennedy following her marriage to U.S. President John F. Kennedy. The name was ranked 111th in 1959 and 37th in 1961, the year President Kennedy took office. The name also experienced another surge in popularity in 1964 following the assassination of President Kennedy on November 22, 1963 and Jackie Kennedy’s display of dignity and strength as his grieving widow.[4]
Other media influences have also inspired increased usage of the name. Usage of the spelling variant Jaclyn increased after actress Jaclyn Smith began appearing on the American television series Charlie's Angels from 1976 to 1981. Usage of the spelling variant Jacklyn increased after actress Jacklyn Zeman began appearing on the American soap operaGeneral Hospital. Usage of the name Jacqueline increased among Hispanic and Latino Americans after it was used for a teenage character on the popular Mexican telenovelaSoñadoras, which was also widely viewed in the United States.[5]
World usage
Jacqueline has also been a popular first name in Australia, Brazil, Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Mexico, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, and elsewhere. While the popularity of the name and its variants has declined worldwide, it remains in regular use.[6]
Jacqueline Cochran (1906–1980), American aviator and business executive, first woman pilot to break the sound barrier and head of the Women Airforce Service Pilots for part of World War II
Jacqueline de Jong (1939–2024), Dutch painter, sculptor and graphic artist
This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.
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