Jolene means pretty — possibly from the French joli (pretty) with the -ene ending. Dolly Parton's Jolene is one of the greatest country songs ever written — Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene, I'm begging of you please don't take my man. The name IS the song: six letters that carry the most desperate, most beautiful plea in music history.
Jolene possibly comes from the French joli meaning pretty. Dolly Parton's Jolene (1973) is one of the greatest songs in country music history — the desperate plea is one of music's most covered and recognised melodies.
2
First recorded
Earliest known use: Dolly Parton's Jolene released 1973.
3
Today
Jolene remains a beloved choice, ranking #524 in the US. 35,809 babies have been named Jolene since 1918.
◈ Sources: Behind the Name, SSA data
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How popular is Jolene?
1974peak year
Today, Jolene is rarely chosen — ranked around #524, with only about 603 babies given the name per year. But it wasn't always this way. At its peak in 1974, 1,053 babies were given the name (ranked #245 nationally). Its strongest stretch was the 1970s. Jolene's usage has held roughly steady recently. In all, around 35,809 babies have been registered as Jolene since 1880.
Year-by-year registrations1880–2024 · U.S. Social Security data
Jolene's Life Path 3 is the communicator's number — the plea that became a masterpiece. People named Jolene tend to be pretty, magnetic, and gifted at being the person everyone is begging about.
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