Joleen Girl

Popularity: #927 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: jo-LEEN /dʒoʊˈlin/

Origin: English; French

Meaning: English: diminutive of Jo; French: youthful

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Joleen is believed to be a modern variation of the name Jolene, which itself is derived from the name Jo, a diminutive of names such as Josephine or Joanna, combined with the suffix -leen. The name Joanna has roots in the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious," which passed into Greek as Ioanna and later into Latin as Joanna.

The transition into English occurred through Old French and Middle English, particularly during the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, which introduced many names of French origin into the English language. Jolene, and by extension Joleen, gained significant cultural prominence in the 20th century, particularly due to the song "Jolene" written by Dolly Parton in 1973.

This song, which tells the story of a woman confronting another woman over a romantic interest, contributed to the name's association with themes of love, jealousy, and resilience. The name's lyrical quality and emotional resonance in popular music have helped solidify its place in American culture.

In addition to its musical connections, Joleen carries a sense of femininity and grace, often associated with the qualities of kindness and beauty. The name's construction, combining the familiar "Jo" with the softer ending "-leen," gives it a melodic quality that has appealed to various generations.

While Joleen may not have historical figures or saints directly associated with it, its roots in the more traditional names Joanna and Josephine link it to a broader historical context of names that have been used across cultures and eras, emphasizing themes of grace and favor.

Famous people named Joleen

In this section, you will find notable people named Joleen. 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 Joleen who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Joleen 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.

Joleen Lunzer is a singer-songwriter best known for her work in the country music genre and her album 'Joleen'.

Joleen DeWitt is a television producer best known for her work on 'The Amazing Race' and 'Survivor'.

Fictional characters named Joleen

The following list of fictional characters named Joleen 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.

Joleen is a fictional character from the film The Last Picture Show. She is a high school cheerleader who becomes involved in a complicated love triangle with the main characters.

Sibling suggestions

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

JoannaJulietJessicaJordanJasmineJade

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Joleen. 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.

JoleneJoelleJolieJodieJasmineJosieJoyceJanelle

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Joleen was first seen in the United States in 1925.

Joleen has ranked as high as #1320 nationally, which occurred in 1974, and has been most popular in California, Iowa, Minnesota, Washington, and New York.

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

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Joleen 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 Joleen 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 Joleen.

Year Total Births Girl
2025 21 21
2024 15 15
2023 27 27
2022 31 31
2021 33 33
2020 28 28
2019 37 37
2018 38 38
2017 25 25
2016 38 38
2015 36 36
2014 45 45
2013 31 31
2012 30 30
2011 45 45
2010 46 46
2009 42 42
2008 41 41
2007 62 62
2006 43 43
2005 59 59
2004 44 44
2003 51 51
2002 50 50
2001 56 56
2000 38 38
1999 21 21
1998 35 35
1997 33 33
1996 41 41
1995 49 49
1994 50 50
1993 45 45
1992 63 63
1991 60 60
1990 46 46
1989 59 59
1988 62 62
1987 68 68
1986 78 78
1985 86 86
1984 97 97
1983 127 127
1982 135 135
1981 131 131
1980 145 145
1979 116 116
1978 136 136
1977 182 182
1976 173 173
1975 161 161
1974 187 187
1973 76 76
1972 62 62
1971 89 89
1970 120 120
1969 115 115
1968 91 91
1967 88 88
1966 105 105
1965 102 102
1964 95 95
1963 111 111
1962 134 134
1961 132 132
1960 124 124
1959 122 122
1958 129 129
1957 117 117
1956 128 128
1955 109 109
1954 124 124
1953 109 109
1952 92 92
1951 100 100
1950 82 82
1949 76 76
1948 66 66
1947 41 41
1946 57 57
1945 34 34
1944 31 31
1943 36 36
1942 43 43
1941 28 28
1940 38 38
1939 42 42
1938 29 29
1937 33 33
1936 28 28
1935 23 23
1934 28 28
1933 14 14
1932 11 11
1931 14 14
1930 9 9
1929 10 10
1928 5 5
1927 7 7
1926 8 8
1925 5 5

Top States for Joleen (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
CA 5
100%