Jolene

Jolene is a 20th century invention compliments of the United States. The name was created by combining the popular female prefix “Jo” (Joanne, Josephine) with the popular “lene” suffix (Marlene, Helene). As a “Jo” name, Jolene’s etymology is most often connected with Joseph, ultimately derived from the Hebrew meaning “(God) shall add (another son)” in reference to the birth of Jacob’s 11th (and most favorite) son Joseph who became designated as one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel (Book of Genesis). The name Joseph also appears in the New Testament as Jesus’ foster-father (Mary’s husband) – another instance where God indeed “added another son”! Aside from Jolene’s association with the masculine name Joseph, the name is also occasionally connected with “jolie” which is the French word for pretty. What really brought Jolene to the heights of her popularity as a baby girl’s name was a 1974 song released by Dolly Parton called “Jolene” (off an album of the same name). In the song, Jolene is the beautiful seductress whose “beauty is beyond compare”. The singer (Dolly) fears Jolene has the ability to “take her man” and implores her not to “just because she can.” The song was a massive hit, going to #1 on the country music charts. Apparently, Dolly Parton based the song on a pretty green-eyed, red-headed bank teller who flirted with her husband. After one of her concerts, as she was signing autographs, she wrote one out to a pretty green-eyed, red-headed fan. When Dolly learned the fan’s name, she apparently said: “Well, Jolene, Jolene, Jolene. That is pretty. That sounds like a song. I'm going to write a song about that.” As a given name, Jolene reached her highest success in that same year Ms. Parton sang her vulnerable song about a voluptuous bank teller whose name was inspired by a pretty fan. A perfect name choice, we suppose, for a green-eyed redhead.