Jacqueline
/ʒak.lin/
Jacqueline is the French feminine diminutive of Jacques, the French form of James.
James derives from the Late Latin Jacobus, from the Hebrew Yaʼakov, meaning “supplanter”—one who takes the place of another—or, in a later folk interpretation, “God protects.”
The name has deep medieval French roots and was in use across Europe before gaining wider international reach. In the English-speaking world it spread as a fashionable French import.
What the name Jacqueline means
Jacqueline reached its US peak at No. 37 in 1961 with 10,981 births—the year John F. Kennedy’s wife Jacqueline Kennedy moved into the White House and became one of the most photographed women in the world.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (1929-1994) is the defining cultural bearer. Her elegance, style, and public role during and after the Kennedy presidency turned the name into a symbol of grace and sophistication.
Five syllables—JAK-wuh-lin—are formal and fluid. The French diminutive ending -eline gives it a softness that balances its long, formal full form. The short form Jackie is far more casual.
Parents who choose Jacqueline today are often explicitly invoking the Kennedy legacy or honouring family tradition in communities where the name has been passed down.
Variants include Jackie (the universal short form), Jaclyn (American spelling variant), Jacquelyn, and the French Jacqueline itself, which remains most common in France and Francophone countries.
US popularity over time
Numerology and symbolism
Based on Pythagorean numerology — a traditional system linking name letters to numbers. Presented for cultural interest.
Famous people named Jacqueline
Jacqueline - similar names
Not seeing what you want? Browse all names by origin or popularity