Jennie is of Scottish origin, derived from the name Jane. It means "God is gracious." The name gained popularity in the late 19th century and has since been used consistently throughout the world. In literature, Jennie is perhaps most famously known as the character in Robert Louis Stevenson's poem "The Swing," where she swings on a rope while singing "Away, away, my bonnie wee Jean." This classic piece of Scottish verse has contributed to the enduring appeal of the name Jennie.
The name Jennie experienced significant popularity fluctuations over time. From the late 19th to mid-20th century, it had periods of high usage, particularly between 1923 and 1934 with peak years such as 1928 (17 births) and 1934 (13 births). However, there were also decades where it was less common, notably the 1950s to 1980s, with only five or six occurrences per year. Overall, Jennie was given to 479 babies in total during these years.