American Names

American names are used in the United States. See also about American names.
gender
usage
Honora f Irish, English
Variant of Honoria. It was brought to England and Ireland by the Normans.
Honour f & m English (Rare)
From the English word honour, which is of Latin origin. This was one of the virtue names adopted by the Puritans in the 17th century. It can also be viewed as a form of Honoria or Honorata, which are ultimately derived from the same source.
Hope f English
From the English word hope, ultimately from Old English hopian. This name was first used by the Puritans in the 17th century.
Horace m English, French
English and French form of Horatius, and the name by which the Roman poet Quintus Horatius Flaccus is commonly known those languages. In the modern era it has been used as a given name since the Renaissance, in honour of the poet.
Horatio m English
Variant of Horatius. Shakespeare used it for a character in his tragedy Hamlet (1600). It was borne by the British admiral Horatio Nelson (1758-1805), famous for his defeat of Napoleon's forces in the Battle of Trafalgar, in which he was himself killed. Since his time the name has been occasionally used in his honour.
Hortense f French, English
French form of Hortensia.
Houston m English
From a Scottish surname meaning "Hugh's town". The original Houston is in Scotland near Glasgow, but this is also the name of a city in Texas, named after the Texas president Sam Houston (1793-1863).
Howard m English
From an English surname that can derive from several different sources: the Anglo-Norman given name Huard, which was from the Germanic name Hughard; the Anglo-Scandinavian given name Haward, from the Old Norse name Hávarðr; or the Middle English term ewehirde meaning "ewe herder". This is the surname of a British noble family, members of which have held the title Duke of Norfolk from the 15th century to the present. A famous bearer of the given name was the American industrialist Howard Hughes (1905-1976).
Howie m English
Diminutive of Howard.
Hoyt m English
From an English surname that was derived from Middle English hoit "stick", originally a nickname for a thin person.
Hubert m English, German, Dutch, French, Polish, Czech, Germanic
Means "bright heart", derived from the Old German elements hugu "mind, thought, spirit" and beraht "bright". Saint Hubert was an 8th-century bishop of Maastricht who is considered the patron saint of hunters. The Normans brought the name to England, where it replaced an Old English cognate Hygebeorht. It died out during the Middle Ages but was revived in the 19th century.
Hudson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Hudde". A famous bearer of the surname was the English explorer Henry Hudson (1570-1611).
Huey m English
Variant of Hughie.
Hugh m English
From the Germanic name Hugo, derived from Old Frankish hugi or Old High German hugu meaning "mind, thought, spirit" (Proto-Germanic *hugiz). It was common among Frankish and French nobility, being borne by Hugh Capet, a 10th-century king of France who founded the Capetian dynasty. The Normans brought the name to England and it became common there, even more so after the time of the 12th-century bishop Saint Hugh of Lincoln, who was known for his charity. This was also the name of kings of Cyprus and the crusader kingdom of Jerusalem. The name is used in Ireland and Scotland as the Anglicized form of Aodh and Ùisdean.
Hughie m English
Diminutive of Hugh.
Hugo m Spanish, Portuguese, English, Dutch, German, French, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Germanic
Old German form of Hugh. As a surname it has belonged to the French author Victor Hugo (1802-1885), the writer of The Hunchback of Notre-Dame and Les Misérables.
Humbert m French, German (Rare), English (Rare), Germanic
Derived from the Old German elements hun "bear cub" and beraht "bright". The Normans introduced this name to England, though it has always been uncommon there. It was the name of a 7th-century Frankish saint who founded Maroilles Abbey. It was also borne by two kings of Italy (called Umberto in Italian), who ruled in the 19th and 20th centuries. A notable fictional bearer is Humbert Humbert from Vladimir Nabokov's novel Lolita (1955).
Humphrey m English
From the Old German elements hun "bear cub" and fridu "peace". The Normans introduced this name to England, where it replaced the Old English cognate Hunfrith, and it was regularly used through the Middle Ages. A famous bearer was the American actor Humphrey Bogart (1899-1957), who starred in The Maltese Falcon and Casablanca.
Hunter m & f English
From an English occupational surname for a hunter, derived from Old English hunta. A famous bearer was the eccentric American journalist Hunter S. Thompson (1937-2005).
Huxley m English (Modern)
From an English surname that was derived from the name of a town in Cheshire. The final element is Old English leah "woodland, clearing", while the first element might be hux "insult, scorn". A famous bearer of the surname was the British author Aldous Huxley (1894-1963).
Hyacinth 2 f English (Rare)
From the name of the flower (or the precious stone that also bears this name), ultimately from Greek hyakinthos (see Hyacinthus).
Hyrum m English (Rare)
Variant of Hiram. This name was borne by Hyrum Smith (1800-1844), an early leader within the Mormon Church.
Ian m Scottish, English
Anglicized form of Scottish Gaelic Iain, itself from Latin Iohannes (see John). It became popular in the United Kingdom outside of Scotland in the first half of the 20th century, but did not begin catching on in America until the 1960s.
Ibbie f English
Diminutive of Isabel.
Ida f English, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, French, Polish, Finnish, Hungarian, Slovak, Slovene, Germanic
Derived from the Germanic element id possibly meaning "work, labour" (Proto-Germanic *idiz). The Normans brought this name to England, though it eventually died out there in the Middle Ages. It was strongly revived in the 19th century, in part due to the heroine in Alfred Tennyson's poem The Princess (1847), which was later adapted into the play Princess Ida (1884) by Gilbert and Sullivan.... [more]
Idella f English
Elaboration of Ida.
Idelle f English (Rare)
Elaboration of Ida.
Idonea f English (Archaic)
Medieval English name, probably a Latinized form of Iðunn. The spelling may have been influenced by Latin idonea "suitable". It was common in England from the 12th century.
Idony f English (Archaic)
Medieval English vernacular form of Idonea.
Iesha f African American (Modern)
Variant of Aisha. It was popularized by the song Iesha (1991) by Another Bad Creation.
Iggy m English
Diminutive of Ignatius.
Ike m English
Diminutive of Isaac. This was the nickname of the American president Dwight D. Eisenhower (1890-1969), based on the initial sound of his surname.
Ilene f English
Variant of Eileen, probably inspired by the spelling of Irene.
Imani f & m Swahili, African American
Means "faith" in Swahili, ultimately from Arabic إيمان (ʾīmān).
Imogene f English
Variant of Imogen.
Ina f German, Dutch, Norwegian, Danish, Swedish, English, Slovene, Latvian
Short form of names ending with or otherwise containing ina, such as Martina, Christina and Carolina.
India f English, Spanish (Modern)
From the name of the country, which is itself derived from the name of the Indus River. The river's name is ultimately from Sanskrit सिन्धु (Sindhu) meaning "body of trembling water, river". India Wilkes is a character in the novel Gone with the Wind (1936) by Margaret Mitchell.
Indiana f & m English
From the name of the American state, which means "land of the Indians". This is the name of the hero in the Indiana Jones series of movies, starring Harrison Ford.
Indie f English (Modern)
Possibly a diminutive of India or Indiana, but also likely inspired by the term indie, short for independent, which is typically used to refer to media produced outside of the mainstream.
Indigo f & m English (Modern)
From the English word indigo for the purplish-blue dye or the colour. It is ultimately derived from Greek Ἰνδικόν (Indikon) meaning "Indic, from India".
Inez f English
English form of Inés.
Ingram m Germanic, English (Rare)
Germanic name composed of either the element angil, from the name of the Germanic tribe of the Angles, or engil meaning "angel" combined with hram meaning "raven". This name was brought to England by the Normans, though it died out after the medieval era. These days it is usually inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.
Inigo m English (Rare)
English form of Íñigo. It became well-known in Britain due to the English architect Inigo Jones (1573-1652). He was named after his father, a Catholic who was named for Saint Ignatius of Loyola.
Iola f English
Probably a variant of Iole.
Iona 1 f English, Scottish
From the name of the island off Scotland where Saint Columba founded a monastery. The name of the island is Old Norse in origin, and apparently derives simply from ey meaning "island".
Ione f Greek Mythology, English
From Ancient Greek ἴον (ion) meaning "violet flower". This was the name of a sea nymph in Greek mythology. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 19th century, though perhaps based on the Greek place name Ionia, a region on the west coast of Asia Minor.
Ira 1 m English, Hebrew, Biblical
Means "watchful" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of King David's priest. As an English Christian given name, Ira began to be used after the Protestant Reformation. In the 17th century the Puritans brought it to America, where remained moderately common into the 20th century.
Ireland f English (Modern)
From the name of the European island country, derived from Irish Gaelic Éire, which may mean something like "abundant land" in Old Irish.
Irene f English, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, German, Dutch, Ancient Greek (Latinized), Greek Mythology (Latinized)
From Greek Εἰρήνη (Eirene), derived from a word meaning "peace". This was the name of the Greek goddess who personified peace, one of the Ὥραι (Horai). It was also borne by several early Christian saints. The name was common in the Byzantine Empire, notably being borne by an 8th-century empress, who was the first woman to lead the empire. She originally served as regent for her son, but later had him killed and ruled alone.... [more]
Iris f Greek Mythology, English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, French, Spanish, Catalan, Italian, Slovene, Croatian, Greek
Means "rainbow" in Greek. Iris was the name of the Greek goddess of the rainbow, also serving as a messenger to the gods. This name can also be given in reference to the word (which derives from the same Greek source) for the iris flower or the coloured part of the eye.
Irma f German, English, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish, Danish, Spanish, Italian, Georgian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Slovene, Germanic
German short form of names beginning with the Old German element irmin meaning "whole, great" (Proto-Germanic *ermunaz). It is thus related to Emma. It began to be regularly used in the English-speaking world in the 19th century.
Irvin m English
From a surname that is a variant of either Irving or Irwin.
Irvine m English, Scottish
From a surname that was a variant of Irving.
Irving m English, Jewish
From a Scottish surname that was derived from the town of Irvine in North Ayrshire, itself named for the River Irvine, which is derived from Brythonic elements meaning "green water". Historically this name has been relatively common among Jews, who have used it as an American-sounding form of Hebrew names beginning with I such as Isaac, Israel and Isaiah. A famous bearer was the Russian-American songwriter and lyricist Irving Berlin (1888-1989), whose birth name was Israel Beilin.
Irwin m English
From an English surname that was derived from the Old English given name Eoforwine.
Isaac m English, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan, French, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin
From the Hebrew name יִץְחָק (Yitsḥaq) meaning "he will laugh, he will rejoice", derived from צָחַק (tsaḥaq) meaning "to laugh". The Old Testament explains this meaning, by recounting that Abraham laughed when God told him that his aged wife Sarah would become pregnant with Isaac (see Genesis 17:17), and later Sarah laughed when overhearing the same prophecy (see Genesis 18:12). When Isaac was a boy, God tested Abraham's faith by ordering him to sacrifice his son, though an angel prevented the act at the last moment. Isaac went on to become the father of Esau and Jacob with his wife Rebecca.... [more]
Isabel f Spanish, Portuguese, English, French, German, Dutch
Medieval Occitan form of Elizabeth. It spread throughout Spain, Portugal and France, becoming common among the royalty by the 12th century. It grew popular in England in the 13th century after Isabella of Angoulême married the English king John, and it was subsequently bolstered when Isabella of France married Edward II the following century.... [more]
Isabella f Italian, German, English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch, Romanian
Latinate form of Isabel. This name was borne by many medieval royals, including queens consort of England, France, Portugal, the Holy Roman Empire and Hungary, as well as the powerful ruling queen Isabella of Castile (properly called Isabel).... [more]
Isadora f English, Portuguese
Variant of Isidora. A famous bearer was the American dancer Isadora Duncan (1877-1927).
Isadore m English
Variant of Isidore.
Isaiah m English, Biblical
From the Hebrew name יְשַׁעְיָהוּ (Yeshaʿyahu) meaning "Yahweh is salvation", from the roots יָשַׁע (yashaʿ) meaning "to save" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. Isaiah is one of the four major prophets of the Old Testament, supposedly the author of the Book of Isaiah. He was from Jerusalem and probably lived in the 8th century BC, at a time when Assyria threatened the Kingdom of Judah. As an English Christian name, Isaiah was first used after the Protestant Reformation.
Isiah m English
Variant of Isaiah.
Isidora f Spanish, Serbian, Portuguese (Rare), Italian (Rare), English (Rare), Ancient Greek
Feminine form of Isidore. This was the name of a 4th-century Egyptian saint and hermitess.
Isidore m English, French, Georgian (Rare), Jewish
From the Greek name Ἰσίδωρος (Isidoros) meaning "gift of Isis", derived from the name of the Egyptian goddess Isis combined with Greek δῶρον (doron) meaning "gift". Saint Isidore of Seville was a 6th-century archbishop, historian and theologian.... [more]
Isla f Scottish, English
Variant of Islay, typically used as a feminine name. It also coincides with the Spanish word isla meaning "island".
Israel m Jewish, English, Spanish, Biblical, Biblical Greek
From the Hebrew name יִשְׂרָאֵל (Yisraʾel) meaning "God contends", from the roots שָׂרָה (sara) meaning "to contend, to fight" and אֵל (ʾel) meaning "God". In the Old Testament, Israel (who was formerly named Jacob; see Genesis 32:28) wrestles with an angel. The ancient and modern states of Israel took their names from him.
Issac m English
Variant of Isaac.
Issy m & f English
Diminutive of Isidore, Isabella and other names beginning with Is.
Ivah f English (Rare)
Possibly from the name of the city of Ivah in the Old Testament.
Ivan m Russian, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Serbian, Macedonian, Croatian, Czech, Slovak, Slovene, English, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Estonian
Newer form of the Old Church Slavic name Іѡаннъ (Ioannŭ), which was derived from Greek Ioannes (see John). This was the name of six Russian rulers, including the 15th-century Ivan III the Great and 16th-century Ivan IV the Terrible, the first tsar of Russia. It was also borne by nine emperors of Bulgaria. Other notable bearers include the Russian author Ivan Turgenev (1818-1883), who wrote Fathers and Sons, and the Russian physiologist Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936), who is best known for his discovery of the conditioned reflex.
Ivory m & f African American
From the English word for the hard, creamy-white substance that comes from elephant tusks and was formerly used to produce piano keys.
Ivy f English
From the English word for the climbing plant that has small yellow flowers. It is ultimately derived from Old English ifig.
Izzy m & f English
Diminutive of Isidore, Isabel, Israel and other names beginning with a similar sound.
Jabari m African American (Modern)
Means "almighty, powerful" in Swahili, ultimately from Arabic جبّار (jabbār). It started to be used by African-American parents after it was featured in a 1973 nation-wide newspaper article about African baby names.
Jace m English
Short form of Jason, sometimes used independently. It was brought to limited attention in America by the lead character in the western television series Tales of the Texas Rangers (1955-1958). Towards the end of the 20th century it began steadily increasing in popularity, reaching the 66th spot for boys in the United States in 2013.
Jacey f & m English (Modern)
An invented name, using the popular phonetic element jay and the same sound found in names such as Casey and Macy.
Jaci 1 f English
Diminutive of Jacqueline.
Jacinth f English (Rare)
From the English word for the orange precious stone, originating from the same source as Hyacinth.
Jack m English
Derived from Jackin (earlier Jankin), a medieval diminutive of John. There could be some early influence from the unrelated French name Jacques. It is often regarded as an independent name. During the Middle Ages it was very common, and it became a slang word meaning "man", as seen in the terms jack-o'-lantern, jack-in-the-box, lumberjack and so on. It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack and Jill, Little Jack Horner, and Jack Sprat.... [more]
Jacki f English
Diminutive of Jacqueline.
Jackie m & f English
Diminutive of Jack or Jacqueline. A notable bearer was baseball player Jackie Robinson (1919-1972), the first African American to play in Major League Baseball.
Jackson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of Jack". A famous bearer of the surname was American president Andrew Jackson (1767-1845).
Jaclyn f English
Contracted variant of Jacqueline.
Jacob m English, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Jewish, Biblical
From 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]
Jacqueline f French, English
French feminine form of Jacques, also commonly used in the English-speaking world.
Jada 1 f English
Elaborated form of Jade. This name came into general use in the 1960s, and was popularized in the 1990s by actress Jada Pinkett Smith (1971-).
Jade f & m English, French
From 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.
Jadyn f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Jaden.
Jae 2 m & f English (Rare)
Variant of Jay 1.
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.
Jai 2 m English (Modern)
Variant of Jay 1. In some cases it is pronounced to rhyme with names such as Kai or Ty.
Jaiden m & f English (Modern)
Variant of Jaden.
Jaime 2 f English
Variant 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.
Jaimie f English
Variant of Jamie.
Jake m English
Medieval variant of Jack. It is also sometimes used as a short form of Jacob.
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.
Jaliyah f African American (Modern)
An invented name, based on the sound of Aaliyah.
Jamaal m Arabic, African American
Alternate transcription of Arabic جمال (see Jamal).
Jamal m Arabic, Urdu, Indonesian, Malay, African American
Means "beauty" in Arabic, from the root جمل (jamala) meaning "to be beautiful".
Jamar m African American
Invented name, based on the sounds found in names such as Jamal and Lamar. It has been in general use in America since the 1970s.
JaMarcus m African American
Combination of the popular phonetic prefix ja and Marcus.
Jamari m African American (Modern)
Elaborated form of Jamar, sharing a sound with names such as Amari and Kamari.
Jamarion m African American
Combination of the popular phonetic prefix ja and Marion 2. It can also be seen as an elaboration of Jamar.
James m English, Biblical
English 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]
Jameson m English
From an English surname meaning "son of James".
Jamey m & f English
Variant of Jamie.
Jami 1 f English
Variant of Jamie.
Jamie m & f Scottish, English
Originally a Lowland Scots diminutive of James. Since the late 19th century it has also been used as a feminine form.
Jamir m African American (Modern)
Variant of Jamar, probably influenced by names such as Jamil.
Jamison m English
From an English surname meaning "son of James".
Jan 2 f English
Short form of Janet, Janice and other names beginning with Jan.
Janae f English (Modern)
Elaborated form of Jane.
Jane f English
Medieval 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]
Janeka f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Jane.
Janel f English
Variant of Janelle.
Janelle f English
Diminutive of Jane. It has been in use only since the 20th century.
Janene f English
Variant of Janine.
Janessa f English (Modern)
Elaborated form of Jane, influenced by Vanessa.
Janet f English
Medieval diminutive of Jane. This was a popular name throughout the English-speaking world in the 20th century, especially the 1930s to the 60s. Its popularity has since faded.
Janetta f English (Rare)
Elaborated form of Janet.
Janette f English
Variant of Janet.
Janey f English
Diminutive of Jane.
Janice f English
Elaborated form of Jane, created by Paul Leicester Ford for his novel Janice Meredith (1899).
Janie f English
Diminutive of Jane.
Janine f French, English, Dutch, German
Variant of Jeannine. It has only been in use since the 20th century.
Janis f English
Variant of Janice.
Janiyah f African American (Modern)
An invented name, blending the popular phonetic prefix ja with names like Shania and Aaliyah.
Janna f Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, English
Feminine form of Jan 1. As an English name, it is an elaboration of Jan 2.
Jannah f English (Rare)
Variant of Janna, influenced by Hannah.
Jannette f English
Variant of Janet.
January f English
From 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).
Jaquan m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements ja and quan. It can be spelled JaQuan or Jaquan.
Jared m English, Biblical
From 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.
Jarod m English
Variant of Jared.
Jaron 2 m English (Modern), African American (Modern)
Invented name, probably based on the sounds of names such as Jared and Darren.
Jarred m English
Variant of Jared.
Jarrett m English
From a surname that was a variant of Garrett.
Jarrod m English
Variant of Jared.
Jarvis m English
From an English surname that was derived from the given name Gervais.
Jase m English (Modern)
Variant of Jace and a short form of Jason.
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.
Jasmin 1 f German, Finnish, English
German and Finnish form of Jasmine, as well as an English variant.
Jasmine f English, French
From 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), Biblical
From 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]
Jasper m English, Dutch, Judeo-Christian-Islamic Legend
From 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.
Javion m African American (Modern)
Invented name, using the sounds found in names such as Javon and Davion.
Javon m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements ja or jay and von.
Javonte m African American (Modern)
Combination of the phonetic elements ja, von and tay.
Jax m English (Modern)
Short form of Jackson. It appeared in the video game Mortal Kombat II in 1993. It first registered as a given name in the United States in 1995 (when it was used only five times) but steadily grew in popularity for two decades, probably inspired by similar names like Max and Dax and helped by a character of this name on the American television series Sons of Anarchy (2008-2014).
Jaxton m English (Modern)
Elaboration of Jax influenced by similar-sounding names such as Paxton and Braxton.
Jay 1 m English
Short form of names beginning with the sound J, such as James or Jason. It was originally used in America in honour of founding father John Jay (1749-1825), whose surname was derived from the jaybird.
Jayce m English
Variant of Jace.
Jaycee f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Jacey.
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.
Jaye f & m English
Variant or feminine form of Jay 1.
Jayla f English (Modern)
An invented name, using the phonetic elements jay and la, and sharing a sound with other popular names such as Kayla.
Jaylee f English (Modern)
An invented name, using the popular phonetic elements jay and lee, and sharing a sound with other popular names such as Kaylee and Bailey.
Jaylen m & f African American (Modern), English (Modern)
Variant of Jalen (masculine) or Jaylynn (feminine).
Jaylene f English (Modern)
An invented name, a combination of the popular phonetic elements jay and lene.
Jaylin m & f African American (Modern), English (Modern), Dutch (Modern)
Variant of Jalen (masculine) or Jaylynn (feminine).
Jaylynn f English (Modern)
An invented name, a combination of the popular phonetic elements jay and lyn.
Jayme f & m English
Variant of Jamie.
Jayne f English
Variant of Jane.
Jaynie f English
Diminutive of Jayne.
Jayson m English
Variant of Jason.
Jazlyn f English (Modern)
Combination of the popular phonetic elements jaz and lyn.
Jean 2 f English, Scottish
Medieval 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.
Jeana f English
Variant of Jean 2 or Gina.
Jeane f English
Variant of Jean 2.
Jeanie f English
Diminutive of Jean 2.
Jeanna f English
Variant of Jean 2 or Gina.
Jeanne f French, English
Modern 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.
Jeannette f French, English, Dutch
French diminutive of Jeanne.
Jeannie f English
Diminutive of Jeanne.
Jeannine f French, English
Diminutive of Jeanne.
Jeb m English
Sometimes a diminutive of Jacob. This name may have also resulted from a nickname of James Ewell Brown Stuart (1833-1864), a Confederate general in the American Civil War, which was formed from the initial letters of his three given names.
Jed m English
Short form of Jedidiah.
Jeff m English
Short form of Jeffrey.
Jefferson m English
From 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.
Jeffery m English
Variant of Jeffrey.
Jeffrey m English
Medieval variant of Geoffrey. In America, Jeffrey has been more common than Geoffrey, though this is not true in Britain.
Jeffry m English
Variant of Jeffrey.
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]
Jem m English
Diminutive of Jeremy (and formerly of James).
Jemima f Biblical, English
Traditionally 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.
Jemmy m English
Diminutive of Jeremy (and formerly of James).
Jen f English
Short form of Jennifer.
Jena f English
Diminutive of Jennifer.
Jenae f English (Rare)
Diminutive of Jennifer.
Jenelle f English
Combination of Jen and the popular name suffix elle.
Jenessa f English (Rare)
Combination of Jen and the popular name suffix essa.
Jenn f English
Short form of Jennifer.
Jenna f English, Finnish, French
Variant of Jenny. Use of the name was popularized in the 1980s by the character Jenna Wade on the television series Dallas.
Jenni f English, Finnish
Variant of Jenny.
Jennica f English (Rare)
Combination of Jennifer and Jessica.
Jennie f English, Swedish
Variant of Jenny. Before the 20th century this spelling was more common.
Jennifer f English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish
From 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]
Jenny f English, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, German, Dutch, French, Spanish
Originally a medieval English diminutive of Jane. Since the middle of the 20th century it has been primarily considered a diminutive of Jennifer.
Jensen m English (Modern)
From a Danish surname meaning "son of Jens".
Jep m English (Archaic)
Medieval diminutive of Geoffrey.
Jepson m English (Rare)
From an English surname that meant "son of Jep".
Jerald m English
Variant of Gerald.
Jere m Finnish, Croatian, English
Finnish diminutive of Jeremias (usually used independently), as well as a Croatian diminutive of Jeronim and an English diminutive of Jerald or Jeremiah.
Jeremiah m English, Biblical
From the Hebrew name יִרְםְיָהוּ (Yirmeyahu) meaning "Yahweh will exalt", from the roots רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt" and יָהּ (yah) referring to the Hebrew God. This is the name of one of the major prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Jeremiah and the Book of Lamentations (supposedly). He lived to see the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem in the 6th century BC.... [more]
Jeremy m English, Biblical
English form of Jeremiah, originally a medieval vernacular form. This is the spelling used in some English versions of the New Testament.
Jeri f English
Variant of Jerry.
Jericho m English (Modern)
From the name of a city in Israel that is mentioned several times in the Old Testament. The meaning of the city's name is uncertain, but it may be related to the Hebrew word יָרֵחַ (yareaḥ) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word רֵיחַ (reyaḥ) meaning "fragrance".
Jerilyn f English
Elaboration of Jerry using the popular name suffix lyn.
Jermaine m African American
Variant of Germain. This name rapidly increased in popularity in the early 1970s as a result of the newfound fame of Jermaine Jackson (1954-), a member of the singing group The Jackson 5.
Jerold m English
Variant of Gerald.
Jerome m English
From the Greek name Ἱερώνυμος (Hieronymos) meaning "sacred name", derived from ἱερός (hieros) meaning "sacred" and ὄνυμα (onyma) meaning "name". Saint Jerome was responsible for the creation of the Vulgate, the Latin translation of the Bible, in the 5th century. He is regarded as a Doctor of the Church. The name was used in his honour in the Middle Ages, especially in Italy and France, and has been used in England since the 12th century.
Jerri f English
Variant of Jerry.
Jerrie f English
Variant of Jerry.
Jerrod m English
Variant of Jared.
Jerrold m English
Variant of Gerald.
Jerry m & f English
Diminutive of Jeremy, Jerome, Gerald, Geraldine and other names beginning with the same sound. Notable bearers include the American comedians Jerry Lewis (1926-2017) and Jerry Seinfeld (1954-), as well as the American football player Jerry Rice (1962-).
Jervis m English (Rare)
From a surname that was a variant of Jarvis.
Jess m & f English
Short form of Jesse or Jessica.
Jessa f English
Diminutive of Jessica.
Jessalyn f English (Rare)
Combination of Jessie 1 and the popular name suffix lyn.
Jessamine f English (Rare)
From a variant spelling of the English word jasmine (see Jasmine), used also to refer to flowering plants in the cestrum family.
Jesse m English, Dutch, Finnish, Biblical
From Ἰεσσαί (Iessai), the Greek form of the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishai). This could be a derivative of the word שַׁי (shai) meaning "gift" or יֵשׁ (yesh) meaning "existence". In the Old Testament Jesse is the father of King David. It began to be used as an English given name after the Protestant Reformation.... [more]
Jessica f English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, Spanish
This name was first used in this form by William Shakespeare in his play The Merchant of Venice (1596), where it belongs to the daughter of Shylock. Shakespeare probably based it on the biblical name Iscah, which would have been spelled Jescha in his time. It was not commonly used as a given name until the middle of the 20th century. It reached its peak of popularity in the United States in 1987, and was the top ranked name for girls between 1985 and 1995, excepting 1991 and 1992 (when it was unseated by Ashley). Notable bearers include actresses Jessica Tandy (1909-1994) and Jessica Lange (1949-).
Jessie 1 f Scottish, English
Originally a Scots diminutive of Jean 2. In modern times it is also used as a diminutive of Jessica.
Jessie 2 m English
Variant of Jesse.
Jessika f German, Swedish, English (Modern)
German, Swedish and English variant of Jessica.
Jessy m & f French, English
Variant of Jesse or Jessie 1.
Jett m English (Modern)
From the English word jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).
Jewel f & m English
In part from the English word jewel, a precious stone, derived from Old French jouel, which was possibly related to jeu "game". It is also in part from the surname Jewel or Jewell (a derivative of the Breton name Judicaël), which was sometimes used in honour of the 16th-century bishop of Salisbury John Jewel. It has been in use as a given name since the 19th century.
Jewell f & m English
Variant of Jewel.
Jill f English
Short form of Gillian.
Jillian f English
Variant of Gillian.
Jillie f English
Diminutive of Jill.
Jilly f English
Diminutive of Jill.
Jim m English
Medieval diminutive of James.
Jimi m English, Finnish (Modern)
Variant of Jimmy. A famous bearer was the rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).
Jimmie m & f English
Diminutive or feminine form of James.
Jimmy m English
Diminutive of James. This was the usual name of American actor James Stewart (1908-1997). It is also used by the former American president Jimmy Carter (1924-).