Name Awesome

Jem

#15,937 in 2025UnisexGirls' nameBoys' name

Diminutive of Jeremy

Jem has been given to 171 babies in the U.S. since 1986. In 2025 it ranked #15,937 of 17,293 girls’ names in use. Its peak year was 1987, with 11 recorded. It's used for both sexes: 63% girls, 37% boys all-time.

Babies named Jem, 2025

1 in 663,000

Jem over time, 1880–2025

GirlsBoys
05101518801900192019401960198020002020

Based on births in the U.S. Babies given the name each year. Hover the chart — or focus it and use the arrow keys — for any year. Gaps mean the name was given fewer than 5 times that year; these counts are unpublished.

Girls or boys — Jem over time

In 2025, Jem went to 100% girls and 0% boys.

19632025

A sex is only published in years it reached five applications, so a stretch at 0% or 100% means the other side stayed under that floor — not that it was never used.

Jem: meaning, origin, and history

Diminutive of Jeremy

Deeper origin not confirmed in the cited records

What Jem means

Jem is a diminutive of Jeremy.

Documented naming usage and pronunciation

Jem is used in English.

Another recorded pronunciation is /ˈd͡ʒɛm/ for Jem.

Meaning behind the documented name family

The name developed through Jem → Jeremy → Jeremiah. The family’s meaning is “Yahweh exalt”, recorded in English.

Related names and everyday forms

Related names include Jeremy, James, Jeremiah and Jemima.

American usage and historical context

In the United States, 107 girls were recorded with the name Jem between 1986 and 2025. Its highest annual count was 11 in 1987; its best national rank was #6,491 in 1987.

Over 5 years its rank rose, from #16,179 in 2020 to #15,937 in 2025. Over 10 years its rank fell, from #13,626 in 2015 to #15,937 in 2025.

In the United States, 64 boys were recorded with the name Jem between 1963 and 2023. Its highest annual count was 9 in 2021; its best national rank was #4,320 in 1963.

Sources & methodologyReferences, data & attribution

Meaning, origin, and language notes draw on the references below.

American popularity figures use published Social Security Administration records for this exact spelling. Counts below five for a name, sex, and year are omitted.

Wiktionary material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

How common is Jem?

Everything below is computed from the 2025 data — the most recent year available.

Among all babies, 2025
1 in 663,000
5 of 3,315,165 births
Among girls only
1 in 321,000
<0.01% of girls
Rank, 2025
#15,937
of 17,293 girls’ names in use
Coin-flip room size
459,581 kids
Even odds of a second one

Where Jem sits on the popularity scale

Rarest published (5 a year)#1 — Olivia (13,544)

Chance at least one other child shares the name

If the other children were drawn at random from the 2025 national name distribution. Real classrooms cluster by region and community, so treat these as a floor, not a ceiling.

Class of 20Under 1%
Class of 30Under 1%
Grade of 100Under 1%
School of 500Under 1%

Put another way: gather 459,581 children born in 2025 and it's an even bet that one of them is another Jem. In a class of 30 the chance is Under 1%.

When Jems were born

Half of everyone ever recorded as Jem was born before 2003 — so the typical Jem is around 22 today.

Median birth year
2003
About 22 years old
Biggest decade
2020s
29.9% of all use
Born in the last 25 years
54.2%
A modern name
Recorded since 1950
107
People you could plausibly meet
Choose a decade

2020s — 29.9% of all recorded uses (32).

Is Jem rising or falling?

Rank movement and count movement can disagree — the number of distinct names in use keeps growing, so a name holding a steady count still slides down the list. Both are shown.

Rank vs 1 year ago
−1,713
Places dropped
Rank vs 5 years ago
+242
Places climbed
Rank vs 10 years ago
−2,311
Places dropped
Births vs 10 years ago
0.71×
Fewer babies than then
Share of its own peak
45.5%
Peak was 1987 (11)
Years since peak
38
Years
Year-to-year steadiness
Volatile
30.2% average annual change
Best rank ever
#6,491
1987

Jem around the world

Where Jem ranks in official birth records elsewhere in the world. Rankings only — the number of births isn’t comparable between places, so it isn’t shown.

  • England & Wales
    2005–2005
    #3,382
    in 2005
  • South Australia
    1981–2010
    #801
    in 2010

Popularity data from Office for National Statistics and Consumer and Business Services (South Australia). ONS data under Open Government Licence v3.0. CBS SA data under CC BY 4.0.

Jem by the numbers

The raw record for each sex the name is used for.

As a girl's name

Rank in 2025
#15,937
Trend vs 5 yrs ago
Up 242
Best rank ever
#6,491
1987
Peak year
1987
11 that year
First recorded
1986
Last recorded
2025
All-time count
107
Count in 2025
5

As a boy's name

Rank in 2025
Unranked
Trend vs 5 yrs ago
—
Best rank ever
#4,320
1963
Peak year
2021
9 that year
First recorded
1963
Last recorded
2023
All-time count
64
Count in 2025
Under 5

Names similar to Jem

Matched on shared beginnings and endings, similar length, and comparable popularity.

JemaJemyaJemiahJemmahJemiaJeminaJemmieJeminiJemilaJemiJemekaJemikaJemicaJemiyaJemimahJemiyahJemimaJemmyJemilyJemmaMerjemJemiraJemayaJemely

Sibling names for Jem

Names from the same era and popularity tier — the two things that make a sibling set feel deliberate — skipping lookalike spellings and shared initials.

Explore around Jem

Top names of 1987, Jem's peak yearThe 1980s in fullOther names that peaked in 1987Girls' names starting with JJames & Jacob Variations & Nicknames