Jewel Unisex

Popularity: #807 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JOO-uhl //ˈdʒuː.əl//

Origin: English; Latin

Meaning: English: precious stone; Latin: jewel

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Jewel derives from the Middle English word "jewel," which itself comes from the Old French "juel" or "jouel," meaning "a precious stone or gem." This Old French term traces back to the Latin "jocale," meaning "plaything" or "toy," which is derived from "jocus," meaning "joke" or "jest." The transition into English occurred during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, when French vocabulary began to significantly influence the English language, particularly in terms of art, culture, and luxury items. As a result, the name Jewel came to symbolize not only precious stones but also the value and beauty associated with them.

Historically, the name Jewel has been associated with various cultural and religious contexts. In the biblical tradition, gemstones are often mentioned in relation to divine beauty and glory, such as in the descriptions of the New Jerusalem in the Book of Revelation, which features streets of gold and foundations adorned with precious stones.

This connection to spirituality and the divine has contributed to the name's enduring significance through the centuries. Additionally, during the medieval period, jewels were often associated with nobility and wealth, further enhancing the name's prestige.

Culturally, the name Jewel has resonated with themes of beauty, value, and rarity, making it a fitting choice for a girl. The symbolic associations of jewels as tokens of love and commitment have also played a role in the name's appeal, as gemstones are frequently given as gifts in the context of engagement and marriage.

While diminutive forms such as Jewels or Jule may have emerged, the essence of the name remains tied to its original meaning of preciousness and beauty, reflecting the qualities that have made it a cherished name throughout history.

Famous people named Jewel

In this section, you will find notable people named Jewel. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Jewel who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Jewel who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Jewel is a singer-songwriter best known for Pieces of You, Spirit, and This Way.

Jewel Staite is an actress best known for Firefly, Stargate Atlantis, and The L.A. Complex.

Fictional characters named Jewel

The following list of fictional characters named Jewel is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Jewel is a fictional character from the animated film Rio. She is a rare blue macaw who embarks on an adventure to find her mate and save her species.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Jewel, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

RubyGarnetOpalAmberSapphire

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Jewel. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

GemmaPearlLunaClaraBellaMiraZaraLila

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Jewel was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Jewel has ranked as high as #364 nationally, which occurred in 1920, and has been most popular in Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Arkansas, and Tennessee.

In the past 5 years the name Jewel has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Jewel is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Jewel was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Jewel.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 150 9 141
2024 168 8 160
2023 187 0 187
2022 244 18 226
2021 209 14 195
2020 263 14 249
2019 284 16 268
2018 320 5 315
2017 342 9 333
2016 313 14 299
2015 324 10 314
2014 330 14 316
2013 295 9 286
2012 339 7 332
2011 281 7 274
2010 291 9 282
2009 298 13 285
2008 320 11 309
2007 377 12 365
2006 334 13 321
2005 322 12 310
2004 350 13 337
2003 365 14 351
2002 382 12 370
2001 431 14 417
2000 434 15 419
1999 467 13 454
1998 504 13 491
1997 341 11 330
1996 178 10 168
1995 164 10 154
1994 164 19 145
1993 158 14 144
1992 171 12 159
1991 193 14 179
1990 164 17 147
1989 175 18 157
1988 140 17 123
1987 156 13 143
1986 135 15 120
1985 121 12 109
1984 123 17 106
1983 146 21 125
1982 142 18 124
1981 142 13 129
1980 127 17 110
1979 129 23 106
1978 101 14 87
1977 122 23 99
1976 113 15 98
1975 102 15 87
1974 126 24 102
1973 121 14 107
1972 145 17 128
1971 129 18 111
1970 144 24 120
1969 140 26 114
1968 161 15 146
1967 151 21 130
1966 173 16 157
1965 211 24 187
1964 243 18 225
1963 237 26 211
1962 210 17 193
1961 269 35 234
1960 253 27 226
1959 259 28 231
1958 261 31 230
1957 284 46 238
1956 305 36 269
1955 299 34 265
1954 326 48 278
1953 299 39 260
1952 364 57 307
1951 344 53 291
1950 340 44 296
1949 353 51 302
1948 386 37 349
1947 446 48 398
1946 381 56 325
1945 400 42 358
1944 410 46 364
1943 461 62 399
1942 489 70 419
1941 469 65 404
1940 388 66 322
1939 476 84 392
1938 439 71 368
1937 490 75 415
1936 501 79 422
1935 551 74 477
1934 584 90 494
1933 603 94 509
1932 658 96 562
1931 644 97 547
1930 799 111 688
1929 794 104 690
1928 881 138 743
1927 906 131 775
1926 936 149 787
1925 923 111 812
1924 951 128 823
1923 840 111 729
1922 951 141 810
1921 919 135 784
1920 959 133 826
1919 905 127 778
1918 871 124 747
1917 753 111 642
1916 837 111 726
1915 760 108 652
1914 596 81 515
1913 442 50 392
1912 465 49 416
1911 365 38 327
1910 341 23 318
1909 277 25 252
1908 266 22 244
1907 281 31 250
1906 248 21 227
1905 224 23 201
1904 254 25 229
1903 211 14 197
1902 166 13 153
1901 174 13 161
1900 184 22 162
1899 113 8 105
1898 140 10 130
1897 94 7 87
1896 71 13 58
1895 72 11 61
1894 74 0 74
1893 52 10 42
1892 49 10 39
1891 37 6 31
1890 33 0 33
1889 34 7 27
1888 22 5 17
1887 28 5 23
1886 20 0 20
1885 9 0 9
1884 12 6 6
1883 9 0 9
1882 10 0 10
1881 6 0 6
1880 10 5 5

Top States for Jewel (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 18
18%
MI 12
12%
CA 10
10%
NY 9
9%
FL 8
8%
GA 8
8%
TN 7
7%
VA 6
6%
MO 6
6%
AL 5
5%
LA 5
5%
NC 5
5%