JEAN (1)mFrenchFrench form of
Jehan, the Old French form of
Iohannes (see
JOHN). The French philosophers Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778) and Jean Paul Sartre (1905-1980) were two well-known bearers of this name. It was also borne by the German-French Dadaist artist Jean Arp (1886-1966).
JEAN (2)fEnglish, 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.
JEANNEfFrench, EnglishModern French form of
Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of
Iohannes (see
JOHN). Joan of Arc is known as Jeanne d'Arc in France.
JEBmEnglishSometimes 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.
JEDIDAHfBiblicalMeans "beloved" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of King Amon of Judah and the mother of
Josiah.
JEFFERSONmEnglishFrom 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.
JEFFREYmEnglishMedieval variant of
GEOFFREY. In America,
Jeffrey has been more common than
Geoffrey, though this is not true in Britain.
JEFIMIJAfSerbianSerbian form of
EUPHEMIA. This name was adopted by a 14th-century Serbian poet (born Jelena Mrnjavčević).
JEHIELmBiblicalMeans "God will live" in Hebrew. This is the name of several people in the Old Testament, including one of King
David's lute players.
JEHOASHmBiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹאָשׁ (Yeho'ash), 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.
JEHOHANANmBiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
Yehochanan, an extended form of
Yochanan (see
JOHN). It is borne by a few minor characters in the English Old Testament.
JEHOIACHINmBiblicalMeans "
YAHWEH establishes" in Hebrew. 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.
JEHOIAKIMmBiblicalMeans "raised by
YAHWEH" in Hebrew. 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.
JEHORAMmBiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹרָם (Yehoram) which meant "exalted by
YAHWEH". 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.
JEHOSHAPHATmBiblicalMeans "
YAHWEH has judged" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament he is the fourth king of Judah, noted for having a generally peaceful and prosperous reign.
JEHOSHEBAmBiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹשֶׁבַע (Yehosheva') which meant "
YAHWEH is an 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.
JEHOVAHmTheologyForm of
YAHWEH used in older translations of the Bible, produced by blending the letters of the tetragrammaton with the vowels from
ADONAI.
JEHUmBiblicalMeans "
YAHWEH is he" in Hebrew. 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.
JEHUDImBiblicalMeans "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.
JELLEmFrisian, DutchOriginally a Frisian short form of Germanic names beginning with the element
gild "sacrifice, value". It can also be a Dutch diminutive of
WILLEM.
JEMIMAfBiblical, EnglishMeans "dove" in Hebrew. 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.
JENNAfEnglish, FinnishVariant of
JENNY. Use of the name was popularized in the 1980s by the character Jenna Wade on the television series 'Dallas'.
JENNIFERfEnglish, 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).
JENŐmHungarianFrom the name of an ancient Hungarian tribe. Since the 19th century it has been used as a Hungarian form of
EUGENE.
JEONGf & mKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" or
貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal", as well as other characters which are pronounced similarly. It usually occurs in combination with another character, though it is sometimes used as a stand-alone name.
JEONG-HOmKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" combined with
好 (ho) meaning "good, excellent" or
浩 (ho) meaning "great, numerous, vast". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
JEONG-HUIf & mKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" or
靜 (jeong) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" combined with
姬 (hui) meaning "beauty" or
熙 (hui) meaning "bright, splendid, glorious". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
JEONG-HUNmKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" and
勛 (hun) meaning "meritorious deed, rank", as well as other hanja character combinations.
JEONG-SUKfKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
貞 (jeong) meaning "virtuous, chaste, loyal" or
正 (jeong) meaning "right, proper, correct" combined with
淑 (suk) meaning "good, pure, virtuous, charming". Other hanja combinations are possible.
JEPHTHAHmBiblicalMeans "he opens" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament this name belongs to a ruling judge. He successfully defended Israel from the Ammonites, but was then obliged to sacrifice his daughter because of a vow he had made.
JEREMIAHmEnglish, BiblicalFrom 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] JEREMIELmBiblicalMeans "God will exalt" in Hebrew. Jeremiel (also called
Remiel) is named as an archangel in the apocryphal books of Esdras and Enoch in the Old Testament.
JERIAHmBiblicalMeans "taught by
YAHWEH" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Jeriah is a descendant of Hebron.
JERICHOmEnglish (Modern)From the name of a city in Israel which 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".
JERMAINEmEnglishVariant of
GERMAIN. The name was popularized in the 1970s by Jermaine Jackson (1954-), a member of the singing group The Jackson 5.
JEROBOAMmBiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יָרָבְעָם (Yarav'am) meaning "the people contend". According to the Old Testament, this was the name of the leader of the revolt against King
Rehoboam of Israel. The kingdom was split into Judah in the south and Israel in the north, with Jeroboam becoming the first king of the latter.
JEROMEmEnglishFrom the Greek name
‘Ιερωνυμος (Hieronymos) meaning "sacred name", derived from
‘ιερος (hieros) "sacred" and
ονομα (onoma) "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.
JESCHAfBiblicalForm of
ISCAH found in the medieval Wycliffe Bible. This name was probably the basis for Shakespeare's created name
Jessica.
JESSAMINEfEnglish (Rare)From a variant spelling of the English word
jasmine (see
JASMINE), used also to refer to flowering plants in the cestrum family.
JESSEmEnglish, Dutch, BiblicalFrom 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.
JESSICAfEnglish, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Italian, SpanishThis name was first used in this form by 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. Notable bearers include actresses Jessica Tandy (1909-1994) and Jessica Lange (1949-).
JESUSmTheology, BiblicalEnglish form of
Ιησους (Iesous), which was the Greek form of the Aramaic name
יֵשׁוּעַ (Yeshu'a).
Yeshu'a is itself a contracted form of
Yehoshu'a (see
JOSHUA). Yeshua ben Yoseph, better known as Jesus Christ, was the central figure of the New Testament and the source of the Christian religion. The four gospels state that he was the son of God and the Virgin
Mary who fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah. He preached for three years before being crucified in Jerusalem.
JETHROmBiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יִתְרוֹ (Yitro), which was derived from the Hebrew word
יֶתֶר (yeter) meaning "abundance". According to the Old Testament, Jethro was a Midianite priest who sheltered
Moses when he fled Egypt. He was the father of
Zipporah, who became Moses's wife. A famous bearer of the name was Jethro Tull (1674-1741), an English inventor and agriculturist.
JETTmEnglish (Modern)From the English word
jet, which denotes either a jet aircraft or an intense black colour (the words derive from different sources).
JEUNESSEfVariousMeans "youth" in French. It is not used as a given name in France itself.
JEWELf & mEnglishIn 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.
JEZEBELfBiblicalFrom the Hebrew
אִיזֶבֶל ('Izevel) which probably means "where is the prince?", a ritual question spoken in ceremonies honouring
Baal. Alternatively, it may mean "not exalted". In the Old Testament Jezebel is the evil wife of
Ahab, king of Israel. After she was thrown from a window to her death her body was eaten by dogs, fulfilling
Elijah's prophecy.
JIm & fKorean (Rare)From Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or other hanja characters with the same pronunciation. Although it does appear rarely as a single-character name, it is more often used in combination with another character.
JIAm & fChineseFrom Chinese
佳 (jiā) meaning "good, auspicious, beautiful",
家 (jiā) meaning "home, family", or other characters which are pronounced similarly.
JIAHAOmChineseFrom Chinese
家 (jiā) meaning "home, family" combined with
豪 (háo) meaning "brave, heroic, chivalrous". This name can be formed from other character combinations as well.
JIANm & fChineseFrom Chinese
建 (jiàn) meaning "build, establish",
健 (jiàn) meaning "strong, healthy", or other characters which are pronounced in a similar fashion.
JIANGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
江 (jiāng) meaning "river, Yangtze", as well as other characters with a similar pronunciation.
JIANHONGmChineseFrom Chinese
健 (jiàn) meaning "build, establish" combined with
宏 (hóng) meaning "wide, spacious, great, vast". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
JIEm & fChineseFrom Chinese
杰 (jié) meaning "heroic, outstanding" or other characters which are pronounced similarly.
JI-EUNfKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
枝 (ji) meaning "branch, limb",
知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
恩 (eun) meaning "kindness, mercy, charity". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
JI-HUm & fKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with
厚 (hu) meaning "thick". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
JI-HUNmKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
勛 (hun) meaning "meritorious deed, rank". This name can be formed by other hanja character combinations as well.
JI-HYEfKoreanFrom a Sino-Korean compound meaning "wisdom", formed of the hanja characters
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and
慧 (hye) meaning "bright, intelligent". This name can also be formed from other character combinations.
JIMImEnglishDiminutive of
JAMES. A famous bearer was the rock musician Jimi Hendrix (1942-1970).
JI-MINf & mKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" or
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" combined with
旼 (min) meaning "gentle, affable",
敏 (min) meaning "quick, clever, sharp" or
珉 (min) meaning "jade, stone resembling jade". Other hanja character combinations are possible.
JIMMUmFar Eastern MythologyMeans "divine warrior", from Japanese
神 (jin) meaning "god" and
武 (mu) meaning "military, martial". In Japanese legend this was the name of the founder of Japan and the first emperor, supposedly ruling in the 7th century BC.
JINm & fChineseFrom Chinese
金 (jīn) meaning "gold, metal, money",
锦 (jǐn) meaning "tapestry, brocade, embroidered" or
津 (jīn) meaning "ferry". Other Chinese characters can form this name as well.
JINANm & fArabicMeans "garden" or "paradise" in Arabic.
JINGm & fChineseFrom Chinese
静 (jìng) meaning "quiet, still, gentle",
精 (jīng) meaning "essence, spirit",
晶 (jīng) meaning "clear, crystal" or
京 (jīng) meaning "capital city". Other characters can also form this name.
JINGYIm & fChineseFrom Chinese
静 (jìng) meaning "quiet, still, gentle" combined with
怡 (yí) meaning "joy, harmony". Other character combinations are possible as well.
JIROUmJapaneseFrom Japanese
二 (ji) meaning "two" and
郎 (rou) meaning "son". This was traditionally a name given to the second son. Other combinations of kanji characters can also be possible.
JI-Uf & mKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
芝 (ji) meaning "sesame" or
志 (ji) meaning "will, purpose, ambition" combined with
雨 (u) meaning "rain" or
宇 (u) meaning "house, eaves, universe". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
JI-YEONGf & mKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" or
知 (ji) meaning "know, perceive, comprehend" combined with
英 (yeong) meaning "flower, petal, brave, hero" or
榮 (yeong) meaning "glory, honour, flourish, prosper". Many other hanja character combinations are possible.
JI-YUfKoreanFrom Sino-Korean
智 (ji) meaning "wisdom, intellect" and
裕 (yu) meaning "abundant, rich, plentiful". Other combinations of hanja characters can form this name as well.
JOABmBiblicalMeans "
YAHWEH is father" in Hebrew. According to the Old Testament, he was the commander of King
David's army. In separate incidents he killed both
Abner and
Absalom. When
Solomon came to power he was executed.
JOAN (1)fEnglishMedieval English form of
Johanne, an Old French form of
Iohanna (see
JOANNA). This was the usual English feminine form of
John in the Middle Ages, but it was surpassed in popularity by
Jane in the 17th century.
... [more] JOANNAfEnglish, Polish, BiblicalEnglish and Polish form of Latin
Iohanna, which was derived from Greek
Ιωαννα (Ioanna), the feminine form of
Ioannes (see
JOHN). This is the spelling used in the English New Testament, where it belongs to a follower of
Jesus who is regarded as a saint. In the Middle Ages in England it was used as a Latinized form of
Joan (the usual feminine form of
John) and it became common as a given name in the 19th century.
JOASHmBiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹאָשׁ (Yo'ash), possibly meaning "fire of
YAHWEH". In the Old Testament this name was borne by several characters including the father of
Gideon, a king of Judah, and a son of King
Ahab of Israel.
JOBmBiblical, Biblical French, DutchFrom the Hebrew name
אִיּוֹב ('Iyyov) which means "persecuted, hated". In the Book of Job in the Old Testament he is a righteous man who is tested by God, enduring many tragedies and hardships while struggling to remain faithful.
JOCELYNf & mEnglish, FrenchFrom a Germanic masculine name, variously written as
Gaudelenus,
Gautselin,
Gauzlin, along with many other spellings. It was derived from the Germanic element
Gaut, which was from the name of the Germanic tribe the Goths, 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.
JODYf & mEnglishProbably 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).
JOEmEnglishShort form of
JOSEPH. Five famous sports figures who have had this name are boxers Joe Louis (1914-1981) and Joe Frazier (1944-), baseball player Joe DiMaggio (1914-1999), and football quarterbacks Joe Namath (1943-) and Joe Montana (1956-).
JOELmEnglish, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish, BiblicalFrom 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.
JOHANANmBiblicalForm of
Yochanan (see
JOHN) used in the English Old Testament. It was the name of a military leader in the time of the prophet
Jeremiah.
JOHANNmGermanGerman form of
Iohannes (see
JOHN). Famous bearers include German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), German novelist and poet Johann Goethe (1749-1832), and Austrian composers Johann Strauss the Elder (1804-1849) and his son Johann Strauss the Younger (1825-1899).
JOHNmEnglish, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, BiblicalEnglish form of
Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ιωαννης (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] JOHNNYmEnglishDiminutive of
JOHN. A famous bearer is American actor Johnny Depp (1963-).