Jenny
/ˈdʒɛni/noun
A female given name, often a pet form of Jane or Jennifer; also a term used for several machines or animals in specialized contexts.
Did you know?Jenny is historically tied to Jane/Joan, ultimately from Hebrew Yôḥānān, meaning “Yahweh is gracious,” which traveled through Greek and Latin before becoming one of English’s most familiar names.
Etymological Timeline
Hebrew Antiquity
Heb
Yôḥānān
““Yahweh is gracious””
Ancient Greek
Grk
Iōannēs
“Greek form of the biblical name John”
Latin
Lat
Iohannes
“Latin biblical name”
Old French
OFr
Jehanne
“Female form of John, used as a personal name”
Middle English
ME
Jen(e)
“Shortened pet form of Jane/Joan”
Modern English
Eng
Jenny
“A familiar female given name, especially a diminutive of Jane or Jennifer”