Variant spelling of Jacqueline, feminine of Jacques, ultimately from Hebrew Jacob meaning 'supplanter'.
Jaqueline is a feminine form of Jacques, the French equivalent of James, which itself derives through Latin *Jacobus* from the Hebrew *Ya'akov* — Jacob, meaning "he who supplants" or, in a more generous reading, "may God protect." The name entered English-speaking consciousness most famously through Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, the American First Lady whose cultural influence on fashion, art patronage, and public life transformed the name into a byword for elegance and composure under pressure. Before her, the name had primarily been associated with French nobility.
The spelling Jaqueline, with a single *c*, appears across French regional records and in Spanish and Portuguese-speaking countries where the name traveled via colonial and cultural exchange. It represents one of the name's many orthographic variations — Jacqueline, Jacquelyn, Jacklyn — each carrying slightly different cultural inflections. The core sound remains consistent: a name that feels both formal and approachable, aristocratic in origin but democratic in its widespread adoption.
Across literature and popular culture, the name's variants have been borne by figures ranging from Saint Jacqueline of Rome, a medieval noblewoman turned Franciscan tertiary and companion of Saint Francis of Assisi, to jazz musicians, athletes, and heads of state. Jaqueline in its single-c form has particular resonance in Lusophone and Latin American contexts, where it became widespread in the twentieth century. It is a name with genuine historical depth that manages to feel both worldly and intimate.