Jacob m English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Jewish, BiblicalFrom the Latin
Iacob, which was from the Greek
Ἰακώβ (Iakob), which was from the Hebrew name
יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿaqov). In the Old Testament Jacob (later called
Israel) is the son of
Isaac and
Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was born holding his twin brother
Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning
"holder of the heel" or
"supplanter", because he twice deprived his brother of his rights as the firstborn son (see
Genesis 27:36). Other theories claim that it is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like
יַעֲקֹבְאֵל (Yaʿaqovʾel) meaning
"may God protect".
... [more] Jacobo m SpanishSpanish form of
Iacobus, the New Testament Latin form of
James. The apostles are also commonly denoted
Santiago in Spanish.
Jad m ArabicMeans
"serious" in Arabic. This name is most common in Lebanon.
Jada 2 m BiblicalMeans
"he knows" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Jada is a son of Onam.
Jade f & m English, FrenchFrom the name of the precious stone that is often used in carvings. It is derived from Spanish
(piedra de la) ijada meaning "(stone of the) flank", relating to the belief that jade could cure renal colic. As a given name, it came into general use during the 1970s. It was initially unisex, though it is now mostly feminine.
Jaden m & f English (Modern)An invented name, using the popular
den suffix sound found in such names as
Braden,
Hayden and
Aidan. This name first became common in America in the 1990s when similar-sounding names were increasing in popularity. The spelling
Jayden has been more popular since 2003. It is sometimes considered a variant of the biblical name
Jadon.
Jadis f LiteratureUsed by the author C. S. Lewis as the proper name of the White Witch, the antagonist in his novel
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (1950). He may have based it on French
jadis meaning
"long ago, of old" or Persian
جادو (jādū) meaning
"magic, witch".
Jadon m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יָדוֹן (Yaḏon), of uncertain meaning. It might mean
"thankful" from the root
יָדָה (yaḏa), or it could mean
"he will judge" from the root
דִּין (din). This name is borne by a minor character in the Old Testament.
Jadwiga f PolishPolish form of
Hedwig. This was the name of a 14th-century ruling queen of Poland who has recently been canonized as a saint.
Jae 1 m & f KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
才 (jae) meaning "talent, ability" or
財 (jae) meaning "wealth, riches", as well as other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
Jael f Biblical, Biblical PortugueseFrom the Hebrew name
יָעֵל (Yaʿel) meaning
"ibex, mountain goat". This name appears in the Old Testament belonging to the wife of
Heber the Kenite. After Sisera, the captain of the Canaanite army, was defeated in battle by
Deborah and
Barak he took refuge in Heber's tent. When he fell asleep Jael killed him by hammering a tent peg into his head.
Jae-Seong m KoreanFrom Sino-Korean
在 (jae) meaning "located at, exist" or
宰 (jae) meaning "kill, rule" combined with
成 (seong) meaning "completed, finished, succeeded" or
誠 (seong) meaning "sincere, honest, true". Other hanja combinations are possible.
Jafar m Arabic, PersianMeans
"stream" in Arabic. Jafar ibn Abi Talib was a cousin of the Prophet
Muhammad who was killed fighting against Byzantium in the 7th century. Another notable bearer was Jafar al-Sadiq, the sixth Shia imam.
Jagger m English (Modern)From an English surname meaning
"carter, peddler". It is used as a given name in honour of the British musician Mick Jagger (1943-), the lead vocalist of the Rolling Stones.
Jahan m PersianMeans
"world" in Persian. This name was borne by Shah Jahan, a 17th-century Mughal emperor who is best known as the builder of the Taj Mahal.
Jahangir m Persian, UrduMeans
"world conqueror, world seizer" in Persian, from
جهان (jahān) meaning "world" and
گیر (gīr) meaning "catch, seize, conquer". This was the name of a 17th-century Mughal emperor.
Jahleel m BiblicalMeans
"God waits" in Hebrew, from
יָחַל (yaḥal) meaning "to wait" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This name is mentioned briefly in the Old Testament.
Jaime 2 f EnglishVariant of
Jamie. The character Jaime Sommers from the television series
The Bionic Woman (1976-1978) helped to popularize the name. It can sometimes be given in reference to the French phrase
j'aime meaning "I love", though it is pronounced differently.
Jairus m BiblicalFrom
Ἰάϊρος (Iairos), the Greek form of
Jair used in the New Testament, where it belongs to the father of a young girl brought back to life by
Jesus.
Jakub m Polish, Czech, SlovakPolish, Czech and Slovak form of
Jacob (or
James). In Polish and Slovak this refers to both the Old Testament patriarch and the New Testament apostles, while in Czech this is used only for the apostles (with
Jákob for the patriarch).
Jalal ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"greatness of the faith" from Arabic
جلال (jalāl) meaning "greatness, splendour" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". Jalal ad-Din Muhammad Rumi, commonly called just Rumi, was a 13th-century Persian poet.
Jalen m African American (Modern)An invented name. In America it was popularized in the 1990s by basketball player Jalen Rose (1973-), whose name was a combination of those of his father
James and maternal uncle
Leonard.
Jamal ad-Din m ArabicMeans
"beauty of the faith" from Arabic
جمال (jamāl) meaning "beauty" and
دين (dīn) meaning "religion, faith". Jamal ad-Din al-Afghani (1839-1897) was a political activist who promoted pan-Islamism.
James m English, BiblicalEnglish form of the Late Latin name
Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form
Iacobus, from the Hebrew name
Yaʿaqov (see
Jacob). This was the name of two apostles in the New Testament. The first was Saint James the Greater, the apostle
John's brother, who was beheaded under Herod Agrippa in the Book of Acts. The second was James the Lesser, son of
Alphaeus. Another James (known as James the Just) is also mentioned in the Bible as being the brother of
Jesus.
... [more] Jamin m BiblicalMeans
"right hand" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a son of
Simeon.
Jamshid m Persian, Uzbek, Persian MythologyModern Persian form of Avestan
𐬫𐬌𐬨𐬀⸱𐬑𐬱𐬀𐬉𐬙𐬀 (Yima Xshaēta), which meant
"shining Jam". This was the name of a mythological king of Persia who ruled during a golden age. He is known as either
Jamshid or
Jam, where
Jamshid is a combination of his original name and an honorific.
Jan 1 m Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Czech, Polish, Slovene, German, Catalan, SorbianForm of
Johannes used in various languages. This name was borne by the Czech church reformer Jan Hus (1370-1415), the Flemish painter Jan van Eyck (1390-1441), and the Dutch painters Jan Steen (1626-1679) and Jan Vermeer (1632-1675).
Janaka m Hinduism, SinhaleseMeans
"father" in Sanskrit. According to the Hindu epic the
Ramayana he was the king of Videha in northeastern India. He was the father of
Sita.
Janan f ArabicMeans
"heart" or
"soul" in Arabic, a derivative of
جنّ (janna) meaning "to cover, to hide".
Jane f EnglishMedieval English form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
John). This became the most common feminine form of
John in the 17th century, surpassing
Joan. In the first half of the 20th century
Joan once again overtook
Jane for a few decades in both the United States and the United Kingdom.
... [more] January f EnglishFrom the name of the month, which was named for the Roman god
Janus. This name briefly charted on the American top 1000 list for girls after it was borne by the protagonist of Jacqueline Susann's novel
Once Is Not Enough (1973).
Janvier m FrenchFrench form of
Januarius. Though now rare in France, it is more common in French-speaking parts of Africa.
Japheth m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יֶפֶת (Yefeṯ) meaning
"enlarged". In the Old Testament he is one of the three sons of
Noah, along with
Shem and
Ham. He was the ancestor of the peoples of Europe and northern Asia.
Jarah m BiblicalMeans
"honeycomb" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of a descendant of
Saul.
Jared m English, BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יָרֶד (Yareḏ) or
יֶרֶד (Yereḏ) meaning
"descent". This is the name of a close descendant of
Adam in the Old Testament. It has been used as an English name since the Protestant Reformation, and it was popularized in the 1960s by the character Jarrod Barkley on the television series
The Big Valley.
Jareth m Popular CultureInvented name, probably inspired by names such as
Jared and
Gareth. This is the name of the Goblin King, played by David Bowie, in the movie
Labyrinth (1986).
Jarmila f Czech, SlovakDerived from Czech
jarý "young, fresh" and
milý "kind, dear". This is the name of a character in the Czech poem
Máj (1836) by Karel Hynek Mácha.
Jaromír m Czech, SlovakDerived from the Slavic elements
jarŭ "fierce, energetic" and
mirŭ "peace, world". This name was borne by an 11th-century duke of Bohemia.
Jasim m ArabicMeans
"enlarging" in Arabic, a derivative of
جسم (jasuma) meaning "to enlarge".
Jaslene f English (Modern)Combination of the popular phonetic elements
jaz and
lene. It was brought to some public attention in 2007 by Puerto Rican-born model Jaslene Gonzalez (1986-), the eighth winner of the reality television series
America's Next Top Model.
Jasmine f English, FrenchFrom the English word for the climbing plant with fragrant flowers that is used for making perfumes. It is derived via Arabic from Persian
یاسمین (yāsamīn), which is also a Persian name. In the United States this name steadily grew in popularity from the 1970s, especially among African Americans. It reached a peak in the early 1990s shortly after the release of the animated Disney movie
Aladdin (1992), which featured a princess by this name.
Jason m English, French, Greek Mythology (Anglicized), BiblicalFrom the Greek name
Ἰάσων (Iason) meaning
"healer", derived from Greek
ἰάομαι (iaomai) meaning "to heal". In Greek mythology Jason was the leader of the Argonauts. After his uncle
Pelias overthrew his father
Aeson as king of Iolcos, Jason went in search of the Golden Fleece in order to win back the throne. During his journeys he married the sorceress
Medea, who helped him gain the fleece and kill his uncle, but who later turned against him when he fell in love with another woman.
... [more] Jasone f BasqueFrom Basque
jaso meaning
"to lift up, to raise". It was coined by Sabino Arana in 1910 as an equivalent of the Spanish name
Asunción.
Jasper m English, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic LegendFrom Latin
Gaspar, perhaps from the Biblical Hebrew word
גִּזְבָּר (gizbar) meaning
"treasurer", derived from Old Persian
ganzabarah. This name was traditionally assigned to one of the wise men (also known as the Magi, or three kings) who were said to have visited the newborn
Jesus. It has occasionally been used in the English-speaking world since the Middle Ages. The name can also be given in reference to the English word for the gemstone.
Jatau m HausaMeans
"fair-coloured, light" in Hausa.
Javan m BiblicalMeans
"Greece" in Hebrew, probably related to Greek
Ἴωνες (Iones), the name for the tribe of the Ionians. In the Old Testament this is the name of a grandson of
Noah and the ancestor of the Greek peoples.
Javohir m UzbekMeans
"jewels" in Uzbek, ultimately from Persian.
Jawad m ArabicMeans
"generous" in Arabic, a derivative of
جاد (jāda) meaning "to be excellent, to be generous".
Jawdat m & f ArabicMeans
"goodness, excellence" in Arabic, derived from
جاد (jāda) meaning "to be excellent, to be generous".
Jaya f & m Hinduism, Tamil, Telugu, Hindi, MarathiDerived from Sanskrit
जय (jaya) meaning
"victory". In Sanskrit this is a transcription of both the feminine form
जया (long final vowel) and the masculine form
जय (short final vowel), both of which are used as names or epithets for several characters in Hindu texts. As a modern personal name, this transcription is both feminine and masculine in southern India, but typically only feminine in the north.
Jayadeva m SanskritMeans
"divine victory" from Sanskrit
जय (jaya) meaning "victory" and
देव (deva) meaning "god". This was the name of a 12th-century Indian poet.
Jayden m & f English (Modern)Variant of
Jaden. This spelling continued to rapidly rise in popularity in the United States past 2003, unlike
Jaden, which stalled. It peaked at the fourth rank for boys in 2010, showing tremendous growth over only two decades. It has since declined.
Jayendra m HindiMeans
"lord of victory" from Sanskrit
जय (jaya) meaning "victory" combined with the name of the god
Indra, used here to mean "lord".
Jean 1 m FrenchModern French form of
Jehan, the Old French form of
Iohannes (see
John). Since the 12th century it has consistently been the most common male name in France. It finally dropped from the top rank in 1958, unseated by
Philippe.
... [more] Jean 2 f English, ScottishMedieval English variant of
Jehanne (see
Jane). It was common in England and Scotland during the Middle Ages, but eventually became rare in England. It was reintroduced to the English-speaking world from Scotland in the 19th century.
Jeanne f French, EnglishModern French form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
John). This has been the most reliably popular French name for girls since the 13th century. Joan of Arc is known as Jeanne d'Arc in France.
Jedidah f BiblicalFrom Hebrew
יָדִיד (yaḏiḏ) meaning
"beloved, friend". In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of King Amon of Judah and the mother of
Josiah.
Jefferson m EnglishFrom an English surname meaning
"son of Jeffrey". It is usually given in honour of Thomas Jefferson (1743-1826), the third president of the United States and the primary author of the Declaration of Independence.
Jeffrey m EnglishMedieval variant of
Geoffrey. In America,
Jeffrey has been more common than
Geoffrey, though this is not true in Britain.
Jefimija f SerbianSerbian form of
Euphemia. This name was adopted by a 14th-century Serbian poet (born Jelena Mrnjavčević).
Jehiel m BiblicalMeans
"God will live" in Hebrew, from
חָיָה (ḥaya) meaning "to live" and
אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". This is the name of several people in the Old Testament, including one of King
David's lute players.
Jehoash m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹאָשׁ (Yehoʾash), an extended form of
יוֹאָשׁ (see
Joash). According to the Old Testament, this was the name of a king of Israel. He probably reigned in the 8th century BC.
Jehohanan m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
Yehoḥanan, an extended form of
Yoḥanan (see
John). It is borne by a few minor characters in the English Old Testament.
Jehoiachin m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh will establish" in Hebrew, from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
כּוּן (kun) meaning "to establish". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah. Also known as
Jeconiah, he was imprisoned in Babylon by
Nebuchadnezzar after a brief reign in the early 6th century BC.
Jehoiakim m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh raises up" in Hebrew, from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
קוּם (qum) meaning "to raise". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah. He lived in the 7th century BC, and was the son of
Josiah and the father of
Jehoiachin.
Jehoram m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹרָם (Yehoram) meaning
"exalted by Yahweh", derived from
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah and a king of Israel, both of whom ruled at about the same time in the 9th century BC.
Jehoshaphat m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh has judged" in Hebrew, from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
שָׁפַט (shafaṭ) meaning "to judge". According to the Old Testament he was the fourth king of Judah, noted for having a generally peaceful and prosperous reign.
Jehosheba f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹשֶׁבַע (Yehoshevaʿ) meaning
"Yahweh is an oath", derived from
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
שָׁבַע (shavaʿ) meaning "oath". In the Old Testament she is the daughter of King
Jehoram of Judah. With her husband Jehoiada she rescued the future king
Joash, her nephew, from a purge.
Jehu m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is he" in Hebrew, from the roots
יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and
הוּא (hu) meaning "he". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Israel. He ruled in the 9th century BC, coming to power by overthrowing
Jehoram. This was also the name of a prophet during the reign of the king Baasha.
Jehudi m BiblicalMeans
"Jew" in Hebrew, ultimately referring to a person from the tribe of
Judah. In the Old Testament this is the name of a servant of King
Jehoiakim.
Jehudijah f BiblicalMeans
"Jewess" in Hebrew, a feminine form of
יְהוּדִי (yehuḏi) meaning "Jew". As mentioned in the Old Testament, this was one of the wives of Mered.
Jelani m & f African American (Modern)This name began to be used rarely in the United States in 1973 after it was featured in a nation-wide newspaper article about African baby names. It probably represents the Arabic name
Jilani, given in honour of the Sufi scholar Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani (the meaning quoted by the newspaper article ("mighty") coincides with the meaning of
Qadir).
... [more] Jemima f Biblical, EnglishTraditionally said to mean
"dove", it may actually be related to Hebrew
יוֹמָם (yomam) meaning
"daytime". This was the oldest of the three daughters of
Job in the Old Testament. As an English name,
Jemima first became common during the Puritan era.
Jenna f English, Finnish, FrenchVariant of
Jenny. Use of the name was popularized in the 1980s by the character Jenna Wade on the television series
Dallas.
Jennifer f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, SpanishFrom a Cornish form of the Welsh name
Gwenhwyfar (see
Guinevere). This name has only been common outside of Cornwall since the beginning of the 20th century, after it was featured in George Bernard Shaw's play
The Doctor's Dilemma (1906). It barely ranked in the United until the late 1930s, when it began steadily growing in popularity, accelerating into the early 1970s. It was the most popular name for girls in America between 1970 and 1984, though it was not as common in the United Kingdom.
... [more] Jenő m HungarianFrom the name of an ancient Hungarian tribe. Since the 19th century it has been used as a Hungarian form of
Eugene.