Jean
Jean is a man's name in France and a woman's name in the United States and Great Britain. Which country the person is from decides the answer.
This name's gender leans differently depending on the country — check the table below before you assume.
- Verdict
- Depends on the country
- Male / female split
- 43% male / 57% female
- Confidence
- High (64 or more weighted country observations)
- Most common in
- United States, France, Luxembourg
- US births since 1880
- 23,858 male / 457,788 female
- Data
- nam_dict (GFDL) + US SSA
- Updated
- 2026-09-11
How to address Jean
To address Jean when you do not know their gender, use the full name with no title: "Dear Jean," in English, "Guten Tag Jean," in German. Jean is a man's name in France and a woman's name in the United States, so the right greeting depends entirely on their country. Ask directly if you are unsure.
Ready-made greetings in six languages
English
Dear Jean,
German
Guten Tag Jean,
French
Bonjour Jean,
Spanish
Estimado/a Jean:
Chinese
Jean您好：
Japanese
Jean様
English
Hi Jean,
German
Hi Jean,
French
Salut Jean,
Spanish
Hola Jean,
Chinese
Jean你好：
Japanese
Jeanさん
This is a statistical estimate, not a statement about the gender, identity or correct form of address of any particular person.
Country breakdown
| Country | How common | Usually | Male share |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | very common | woman's name | 5% |
| France | very common | man's name | 98% |
| Luxembourg | very common | man's name | 98% |
| Belgium | very common | man's name | 98% |
| Switzerland | common | man's name | 98% |
| Great Britain | common | woman's name | 25% |
| Ireland | uncommon | woman's name | 25% |
| Malta | uncommon | woman's name | 25% |
| Netherlands | uncommon | man's name | 75% |
| Denmark | uncommon | man's name | 75% |
| Israel | rare | woman's name | 25% |
| Germany | rare | man's name | 75% |
Show all 15 countries
| Country | How common | Usually | Male share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Romania | rare | man's name | 98% |
| Sweden | rare | man's name | 75% |
| Norway | rare | man's name | 75% |
United States birth data
23,858 male · 457,788 female · 481,646 births recorded
Since 1980: 55% male.
Frequently asked questions
Is Jean a male or female name?
Jean is a man's name in France and a woman's name in the United States and Great Britain. Which country the person is from decides the answer.
How do I address Jean in an email?
To address Jean when you do not know their gender, use the full name with no title: "Dear Jean," in English, "Guten Tag Jean," in German. Jean is a man's name in France and a woman's name in the United States, so the right greeting depends entirely on their country. Ask directly if you are unsure.
Is Jean a unisex name?
Jean is a unisex name: 43% of people named Jean are men. The gender leans heavily on which country the person is from.
Related names
Sources
Gender by country: nam_dict, the c't first-names dictionary by Joerg Michael, roughly 44,000 names across 55 countries, licensed GFDL. US frequencies: United States Social Security Administration baby-name data, public domain. Method: how we classify names. Full dataset: data & licences. Data built 2026-09-11.
DearWho, "Is Jean a male or female name?", https://dearwho.vercel.app/name/jean (accessed 2026-09-11). Data: nam_dict (J. Michael, GFDL) and US SSA, built 2026-09-11.
BibTeX
@misc{dearwho_jean,
title = {Is Jean a male or female name?},
author = {{DearWho}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://dearwho.vercel.app/name/jean},
note = {Data: nam_dict (GFDL), US SSA public domain}
}