Jean is of French and German origin, derived from the Latin 'Johannes', meaning "God is gracious". It has been used historically as both a given name and a surname. In France, Jean was the most popular boys' name during the 20th century. Notable individuals named Jean include French philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre, French author Jean Cocteau, and Canadian singer Jean-Pierre Massé.
The name Jean experienced significant fluctuations in popularity over the past century and a half. In its early years (1880-1920), it peaked at around 9500 births per year, with a notable spike to over 12000 births in 1927. However, from the 1930s onwards, there was a steady decline in its usage, reaching an all-time low of just 46 births in 2009.
Since then, the name has shown some signs of recovery, with numbers hovering around 70-90 births per year until recently. However, it remains far from its former popularity, with only 67 births recorded in 2023. Overall, Jean has experienced a significant decline in usage as a baby girl's name over time.