Jeb m EnglishSometimes 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.
Jedidah f BiblicalFrom Hebrew
יָדִיד (yadid) meaning
"beloved, friend". In the Old Testament this is the name of the wife of King Amon of Judah and the mother of
Josiah.
Jehiel m BiblicalMeans
"God will live" in Hebrew. 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 (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.
Jehohanan m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
Yehochanan, an extended form of
Yochanan (see
John). It is borne by a few minor characters in the English Old Testament.
Jehoiachin m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh will establish" 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.
Jehoiakim m BiblicalMeans
"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.
Jehoram m BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹרָם (Yehoram) meaning
"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.
Jehoshaphat m BiblicalMeans
"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.
Jehosheba f BiblicalFrom the Hebrew name
יְהוֹשֶׁבַע (Yehosheva') meaning
"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.
Jehovah m TheologyForm of
Yahweh used in older translations of the Bible, produced by blending the letters of the Tetragrammaton with the vowels from
Adonai.
Jehu m BiblicalMeans
"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.
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 (yehudi) meaning "Jew". As mentioned in the Old Testament, this was one of the wives of Mered.
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.
Jephthah m BiblicalMeans
"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.
Jerahmeel m BiblicalFrom Hebrew
יְרַחְמְאֵל (Yerachme'el) meaning
"God will have pity". This name is borne by a few minor characters in the Old Testament.
Jeremiah m English, 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] Jeremy m English, BiblicalEnglish form of
Jeremiah, originally a medieval vernacular form. This is the spelling used in some English versions of the New Testament.
Jeriah m BiblicalMeans
"taught by Yahweh" in Hebrew. In the Old Testament, Jeriah is a descendant of Hebron.
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".
Jerioth f BiblicalMeans
"curtains, drapes" in Hebrew. This name occurs in the Old Testament belonging to a wife of Caleb the son of Hezron.
Jeroboam m BiblicalFrom 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.
Jerry m & f EnglishDiminutive 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-).
Jescha f BiblicalForm of
Iscah found in the medieval Wycliffe Bible. This name was probably the basis for Shakespeare's created name
Jessica.
Jesse m English, Dutch, Finnish, BiblicalFrom
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.
Jessica f English, French, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Italian, SpanishThis 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-).
Jesus m Theology, Biblical, PortugueseEnglish form of
Ἰησοῦς (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.
Jethro m BiblicalFrom 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.
Jezebel f BiblicalFrom Hebrew
אִיזֶבֶל ('Izevel), probably from a Phoenician name, possibly containing the Semitic root
zbl meaning
"to exalt, to dwell". According to one theory it might be an altered form of the Phoenician name
𐤁𐤏𐤋𐤀𐤆𐤁𐤋 (Baʿlʾizbel) meaning "Ba'al exalts" with the first element removed or replaced.
... [more] Jimmy m EnglishDiminutive 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-).
Jitka f CzechOld Czech variant of
Judith. This name was borne by an 11th-century duchess of Bohemia, a German noblewoman who was abducted by her husband Duke Bretislav.
Joab m BiblicalMeans
"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.
Joah m BiblicalMeans
"Yahweh is brother" in Hebrew. This is the name of four people in the Old Testament.
Joan 1 f EnglishMedieval 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. It again became quite popular in the first half of the 20th century, entering the top ten names for both the United States and the United Kingdom, though it has since faded.
... [more] Joanna f English, Polish, BiblicalEnglish and Polish form of Latin
Iohanna, which was derived from Greek
Ἰωάννα (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.
Joash m BiblicalFrom 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.
Job m Biblical, 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.
Jock m ScottishScots form of
Jack. Among the English, this is a slang term for a Scotsman.
Jody f & m EnglishDiminutive of
Josephine,
Joseph,
Joanna and other names beginning with
Jo. It was popularized by the young hero (a boy) in Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings' novel
The Yearling (1938) and the subsequent film adaptation (1946). As a feminine name, it probably received an assist from the similar-sounding name
Judy, which was at the height of its American popularity when Jody was rising.
Joe m EnglishShort 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-). It is also borne by the American president Joe Biden (1942-).
Joel m English, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, 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.
Johanan m BiblicalForm of
Yochanan (see
John) used in the English Old Testament, where is borne by several people including a military leader in the time of the prophet
Jeremiah.
Johann m GermanGerman form of
Iohannes (see
John). Famous bearers include German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), German novelist and poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832), and Austrian composers Johann Strauss the Elder (1804-1849) and his son Johann Strauss the Younger (1825-1899).
Johannes m German, Dutch, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Finnish, Estonian, Late RomanLatin form of Greek
Ioannes (see
John). Notable bearers include the inventor of the printing press Johannes Gutenberg (1398-1468), astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), painter Johannes Vermeer (1632-1675), and composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).
John m English, Swedish, Danish, Norwegian, Dutch, BiblicalEnglish form of
Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name
Ἰωάννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name
יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan). It means
"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 (John's brother), he was part of the inner circle of Jesus.
... [more] Johnny m EnglishDiminutive of
John. A famous bearer is American actor Johnny Depp (1963-).
John Paul m EnglishCombination of
John and
Paul. This name was borne by two 20th-century popes, notably the sainted John Paul II (1920-2005).
Jolene f EnglishFormed from
Jo and the common name suffix
lene. This name was created in the early 20th century. It received a boost in popularity after the release of Dolly Parton's 1973 song
Jolene.
Jonah m English, BiblicalFrom 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, BiblicalFrom 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 EnglishFrom the English and Welsh surname, itself derived from the given name
John.
Jorah m Biblical, LiteratureFrom the Hebrew name
יוֹרָה (Yorah) meaning either
"he teaches" or
"rain". This name is mentioned briefly in the Book of Ezra in the Old Testament. It was used by George R. R. Martin for a character in his fantasy series
A Song of Ice and Fire (first published 1996) and the television adaptation
Game of Thrones (2011-2019). It is not known if Martin took the name from the Bible.
Joram m BiblicalContracted form of
Yehoram (see
Jehoram). This name belongs to several minor characters in the Old Testament, as well as being another name for the kings Jehoram of Israel and Jehoram of Judah.
Jordan m & f English, French, Macedonian, SerbianFrom 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] Jordanes m Late RomanThe name of a 6th-century Roman author of Gothic background, who wrote a history of the Goths. His name is probably derived from that of the
Jordan River. However, some theories suggest that it could contain a trace of the Germanic root *
erþō meaning
"earth" (Gothic
airþa, Old Norse
jǫrð).
Jorma m FinnishFinnish (allegedly Karelian) form of
Jeremiah. This was the name of a character in Juhani Aho's novel
Panu (1897).
José m & f Spanish, Portuguese, FrenchSpanish and Portuguese form of
Joseph, as well as a French variant. In Spanish and Portuguese-speaking regions it is occasionally used as a feminine middle name (or the second part of a double name), often paired with
María. This was the most popular name for boys in Spain for the first half of the 20th century. A famous bearer was the Portuguese novelist José Saramago (1922-2010).
Joseph m English, French, German, BiblicalFrom
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] Joséphine f FrenchFrench feminine form of
Joseph. A notable bearer of this name was the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte, Joséphine de Beauharnais (1763-1814).
Josephus m Dutch, HistoryLatin form of
Joseph. As a Dutch name, it is used on birth certificates though a vernacular form such as
Jozef is typically used in daily life. In English, it is used primarily to refer to the 1st-century Jewish historian Titus Flavius Josephus.
Joses m BiblicalFrom
Ἰωσῆς (Ioses), a Greek variant of
Joseph used in the New Testament to distinguish Joseph the brother of James from the many other characters of that name.
Joshua m English, BiblicalFrom 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, EnglishFrom 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.
Josip m Croatian, SloveneCroatian and Slovene form of
Joseph. A notable bearer was the Yugoslav leader Josip Broz (1892-1980), also known as Tito.