Browse Names

This is a list of names in which the gender is masculine; and the usage is English; and the first letter is J.
gender
usage
letter
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.
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". It was frequently used in fairy tales and nursery rhymes, such as Jack and the Beanstalk, Little Jack Horner, and Jack Sprat.... [more]
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).
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 (Ya'aqov). 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 (Ya'aqov'el) meaning "may God protect".... [more]
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.
Jake m English
Medieval variant of Jack. It is also sometimes used as a short form of Jacob.
James m English, Biblical
English form of the Late Latin name Iacomus, a variant of the Biblical Latin form Iacobus, from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (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.
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.
Jamison m English
From an English surname meaning "son of James".
Jared m English, Biblical
From the Hebrew name יָרֶד (Yared) or יֶרֶד (Yered) 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.
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 Persian ganzabara. 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.
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.
Jayme f & m English
Variant of Jamie.
Jayson m English
Variant of Jason.
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.
Jem m English
Diminutive of Jeremy (and formerly of James).
Jemmy m English
Diminutive of Jeremy (and formerly of James).
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 יִרְמְיָהוּ (Yirmiyahu) meaning "Yahweh will exalt", from the roots רוּם (rum) meaning "to exalt" and יָה (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.
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 (yareach) meaning "moon", or otherwise to the Hebrew word רֵיחַ (reyach) meaning "fragrant".
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.
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.
Jesse m English, Dutch, Finnish, Biblical
From Ἰεσσαί (Iessai), the Greek form of the Hebrew name יִשַׁי (Yishai), which possibly means "gift". 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. A famous bearer was Jesse James (1847-1882), an American outlaw who held up banks and stagecoaches. He was eventually shot by a fellow gang member for a reward. Another famous bearer was the American athlete Jesse Owens (1913-1980), whose real name was James Cleveland (or J. C.) Owens.
Jessie 2 m English
Variant of Jesse.
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.
Jez m English (British)
Diminutive of Jeremy.
Jezza m English (British)
Chiefly British diminutive of Jeremy.
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).
Jo f & m English, German, Dutch, Norwegian
Short form of Joan 1, Joanna, Josephine and other names that begin with Jo. It is primarily masculine in German, Dutch and Norwegian, short for Johannes or Josef.
Joby m English (Rare)
Diminutive of Job and other names beginning with Jo.
Jocelyn f & m English, French
From a Frankish masculine name, variously written as Gaudelenus, Gautselin, Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element *gautaz, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Geats, combined with a Latin diminutive suffix. The Normans brought this name to England in the form Goscelin or Joscelin, and it was common until the 14th century. It was revived in the 20th century primarily as a feminine name, perhaps an adaptation of the surname Jocelyn (a medieval derivative of the given name). In France this is a masculine name only.
Jody f & m English
Probably either a variant of Judy or a diminutive of Joseph. It was popularized by the young hero in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' novel The Yearling (1938) and the subsequent film adaptation (1946).
Joe m English
Short form of Joseph. Five famous sports figures who have had this name are boxers Joe Louis (1914-1981) and Joe Frazier (1944-2011), baseball player Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999), and football quarterbacks Joe Namath (1943-) and Joe Montana (1956-).
Joel m English, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Biblical
From the Hebrew name יוֹאֵל (Yo'el) meaning "Yahweh is God", from the elements יוֹ (yo) and אֵל ('el), both referring to the Hebrew God. Joel is one of the twelve minor prophets of the Old Testament, the author of the Book of Joel, which describes a plague of locusts. In England, it was first used as a Christian name after the Protestant Reformation.
Joey m & f English
Diminutive of Joseph. It is occasionally used as a feminine diminutive of Josephine or Johanna.
John m English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, Biblical
English form of Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name Ἰωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "Yahweh is gracious", from the roots יוֹ (yo) referring to the Hebrew God and חָנַן (chanan) meaning "to be gracious". The Hebrew form occurs in the Old Testament (spelled Johanan or Jehohanan in the English version), but this name owes its popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who is considered the forerunner of Jesus. He baptized Jesus and was later executed by Herod Antipas. The second is the apostle John, who is traditionally regarded as the author of the fourth gospel and Revelation. With the apostles Peter and James (his brother), he was part of the inner circle of Jesus.... [more]
Johnathan m English
Variant of Jonathan influenced by John.
Johnathon m English
Variant of Jonathan influenced by John.
Johnie m & f English
Diminutive of John, sometimes used as a feminine form.
Johnnie m & f English
Diminutive of John, sometimes used as a feminine form.
Johnny m English
Diminutive of John. A famous bearer is American actor Johnny Depp (1963-).
John Paul m English
Combination of John and Paul.
Johnson m English (African)
From an English surname meaning "son of John". As a given name, it is most common in English-speaking Africa.
Jojo m & f English
Diminutive of Joseph, Jolene and other names that begin with Jo.
Jolyon m English (Rare)
Medieval form of Julian. The author John Galsworthy used it for a character in his Forsyte Saga novels (published between 1906 and 1922).
Jon 2 m English
Short form of Jonathan, or sometimes a variant of John.
Jonah m English, Biblical
From the Hebrew name יוֹנָה (Yonah) meaning "dove". This was the name of a prophet swallowed by a fish, as told in the Old Testament Book of Jonah. Jonah was commanded by God to preach in Nineveh, but instead fled by boat. After being caught in a storm, the other sailors threw Jonah overboard, at which point he was swallowed. He emerged from the fish alive and repentant three days later.... [more]
Jonathan m English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Biblical
From the Hebrew name יְהוֹנָתָן (Yehonatan), contracted to יוֹנָתָן (Yonatan), meaning "Yahweh has given", derived from the roots יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and נָתַן (natan) meaning "to give". According to the Old Testament, Jonathan was the eldest son of Saul. His relationship with his father was strained due to his close friendship with his father's rival David. Along with Saul he was killed in battle with the Philistines.... [more]
Jones m English
From the English and Welsh surname, itself derived from the given name John.
Jonny m English
Diminutive of Jonathan.
Jools m & f English
Diminutive of Julian or Julia.
Jordan m & f English, French, Macedonian, Serbian
From the name of the river that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel. The river's name in Hebrew is יַרְדֵן (Yarden), and it is derived from יָרַד (yarad) meaning "descend" or "flow down". In the New Testament John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ in its waters, and it was adopted as a personal name in Europe after crusaders brought water back from the river to baptize their children. There may have been some influence from the Latin name Jordanes, notably borne by a 6th-century Gothic historian.... [more]
Jordin f & m English (Modern)
Variant of Jordan.
Joseph m English, French, German, Biblical
From Ioseph, the Latin form of Greek Ἰωσήφ (Ioseph), which was from the Hebrew name יוֹסֵף (Yosef) meaning "he will add", from the root יָסַף (yasaf). In the Old Testament Joseph is the eleventh son of Jacob and the first with his wife Rachel. Because he was the favourite of his father, his older brothers sent him to Egypt and told their father that he had died. In Egypt, Joseph became an advisor to the pharaoh, and was eventually reconciled with his brothers when they came to Egypt during a famine. This name also occurs in the New Testament, belonging to Saint Joseph the husband of Mary, and to Joseph of Arimathea.... [more]
Josey m English
Diminutive of Joseph.
Josh m English
Short form of Joshua.
Joshua m English, Biblical
From the Hebrew name יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (Yehoshu'a) meaning "Yahweh is salvation", from the roots יְהוֹ (yeho) referring to the Hebrew God and יָשַׁע (yasha') meaning "to save". As told in the Old Testament, Joshua was a companion of Moses. He went up Mount Sinai with Moses when he received the Ten Commandments from God, and later he was one of the twelve spies sent into Canaan. After Moses died Joshua succeeded him as leader of the Israelites and he led the conquest of Canaan. His original name was Hoshea.... [more]
Josiah m Biblical, English
From the Hebrew name יֹאשִׁיָהוּ (Yoshiyahu) meaning "Yahweh supports". In the Old Testament this is the name of a king of Judah famous for his religious reforms. He was killed fighting the Egyptians at Megiddo in the 7th century BC. In England this name came into use after the Protestant Reformation.
Joss f & m English
Short form of Jocelyn.
Joyce f & m English
From the medieval masculine name Josse, which was derived from the earlier Iudocus, which was a Latinized form of the Breton name Judoc meaning "lord". The name belonged to a 7th-century Breton saint, and Breton settlers introduced it to England after the Norman Conquest. It became rare after the 14th century, but was later revived as a feminine name, perhaps because of similarity to the Middle English word joise "to rejoice". This given name also became a surname, as in the case of the Irish novelist James Joyce (1882-1941).
Judd m English, Medieval English
Medieval diminutive of Jordan. Modern use of this name is inspired by the surname that was derived from the medieval name.
Jude 1 m English, Biblical
Variant of Judas. It is used in many English versions of the New Testament to denote the second apostle named Judas, in order to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot. He was supposedly the author of the Epistle of Jude. In the English-speaking world, Jude has occasionally been used as a given name since the time of the Protestant Reformation.
Jules 2 f & m English
Diminutive of Julia or Julian.
Julian m English, Polish, German
From the Roman name Iulianus, which was derived from Julius. This was the name of the last pagan Roman emperor, Julian the Apostate (4th century). It was also borne by several early saints, including the legendary Saint Julian the Hospitaller. This name has been used in England since the Middle Ages, at which time it was also a feminine name (from Juliana, eventually becoming Gillian).
Julius m Ancient Roman, English, German, Finnish, Lithuanian, Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Dutch, Czech
From a Roman family name that was possibly derived from Greek ἴουλος (ioulos) meaning "downy-bearded". Alternatively, it could be related to the name of the Roman god Jupiter. This was a prominent patrician family of Rome, who claimed descent from the mythological Julus, son of Aeneas. Its most notable member was Gaius Julius Caesar, who gained renown as a military leader for his clever conquest of Gaul. After a civil war he became the dictator of the Roman Republic, but was eventually stabbed to death in the senate.... [more]
July f & m English (Rare)
From the name of the month, which was originally named for Julius Caesar.
Julyan m English (Rare)
Medieval variant of Julian.
Junior m English
From a nickname that was originally used for a boy who had the same name as his father.
Justice m & f English
From an occupational surname meaning "judge, officer of justice" in Old French. This name can also be given in direct reference to the English word justice.
Justin m English, French, Slovene
From the Latin name Iustinus, which was derived from Justus. This was the name of several early saints including Justin Martyr, a Christian philosopher of the 2nd century who was beheaded in Rome. It was also borne by two Byzantine emperors. As an English name, it has occasionally been used since the late Middle Ages, though it did not become common until the second half of the 20th century. Famous modern bearers include pop stars Justin Timberlake (1981-) and Justin Bieber (1994-).
Justy m & f English
Diminutive of Justin or Justine.