Overview

There are lots of cool, famous, and powerful baby names that start with J. 

For example, “Jordin” became a trending baby girl name after 17-year-old Jordin Sparks won the sixth season of American Idol in 2007.

Several celebrities are named “Jennifer,” “Jessica,” “John,” “James,” and “Jeremy.”

The biblical boy name “Jacob” also has many variants in different languages, including “Jaak” (Estonian boy name), “Jacobus” (Dutch boy name), “Jacobina” (Dutch girl name), “Jacques” (French boy name), and “James” (Hebrew boy name).

What do these baby names mean? Read on to find their meanings from our list of 390+ names for boys and girls below.

 

The Best Baby Names That Start With J

Beautiful & Cute J Girl Names

1. Jacqueline (Hebrew, English, and French girl name) – “Supplanter” or “may God protect”; variant of “Jacob”
2. Jaffe (Hebrew) – Name that means “beautiful”
3. Jameela (Arabic girl name) – “Beautiful”; also spelled as “Jamila” 
4. Jasmine (Old Persian and Arabic) – Flower name that means “gift from God”; also a Disney princess name after the Arabian princess in “Aladdin”
5. Jewel (Old French and English) – “Gem”
6. Jolie (French name) – “Pretty”; a favorite middle name for girls after American actress Angelina Jolie (born Angelina Jolie Voight)
7. Josephine (Hebrew, English, Dutch, and German girl name) – Popular girl name that means “Jehovah (God) increases”

 

Powerful Warrior Names For Boys Starting With J

1. Jabbar (Arabic boy name) – “Powerful”
2. Jahangir (Persian) – “World conqueror”
3. Jai (Sanskrit) – “Victory” 
4. Jarek (Czech and Polish name) – “Fierce” or “strong”
5. Jarl (Old Norse and Norwegian name) – “Nobleman” or “chieftain”
6. Jaromir (Polish and Slavic) – “Fierce,” “energetic,” “peace,” or “world”
7. Jason (Greek boy name) – “Healer”; leader of the Argonauts in Greek mythology
8. Jayanta (Sanskrit) – “Victorious”
9. Jayendra (Sanskrit) – “Lord of victory” 
10. Jelani (Arabic gender-neutral name) – “Mighty”
11. Jirair (Armenian) – “Strong” or “active”
12. Julius (Roman and Greek name) – “Downy-bearded” or “youthful”; after the historical figure Julius Caesar 

 

What Are The Most J Popular Names?

Popular J Girl Names

1. Jade (British unisex name) – Green precious stone
2. Jane (English) – “God is gracious”; feminine form of “John”
3. Janet (English) – “God’s gracious gift” or “God‘s gracious gift”; after American singer Janet Jackson 
4. Joan (English) – “God is generous” or “Yahweh is gracious”
5. Judy (Hebrew name) – “Woman of Judea (biblical place)” or “He (God) will be praised”
6. Julia (Latin and Roma) – “Downy-bearded” or “youthful”; feminine variant of “Julius” 

 

Popular Names For Boys Starting With J

1. Jack (British) – “God is gracious”
2. James (Hebrew) – “Supplanter” as a variant of “Jacob”; #5 most popular baby boy name in the US (1)
3. Jasper (Latin and Hebrew) – “Treasurer”
4. Jeremy (English and Hebrew) – “Yahweh will exalt”; variant of the biblical name “Jeremiah”
5. Jimmy (Hebrew) – “He who supplants”; variant of “James”
6. Joe (English and Hebrew) – “God will add”; short boy name after “Joseph”
7. John (Hebrew) – “Yahweh is gracious”; after actors John Malkovich and John Travolta, musician John Lennon, biblical figures such as John the Baptist, and many others

 

Common Names That Start With The Letter J

Common J Girl Names

1. Josie (English and Hebrew) – “God increases”; can be a short girl name after “Josephine”
2. Judith (Hebrew) – “Jewish woman” or “woman from the tribe of Judah”; biblical girl name after one of Esau’s wives (Esau is Jacob’s twin brother)

 

Common J Boy Names

1. Jackson (Old English boy name) – “Son of Jack”
2. Jared (Hebrew) – “Descent”; after American actor Jared Leto
3. Jerry (English nonbinary name) – “Spear”; variant of “Jerome” or “Gerald”
4. Julian (Roman and Greek) – “Downy-bearded” or “youthful”
5. Junior (Latin) – “The younger one”; often used as a suffix for a boy with the same name as his father 

 

Classic Baby Names Starting With J

Old Man & Classic J Names For Boys

1. Jacques (French) – “Supplanter”; variant of “Jacob”
2. Johannes (Latin and Hebrew) – “God is gracious”

 

Old-Fashioned J Names For Girls

1. Joanna (Latin, Hebrew, and Greek girl name) – “God is gracious”; feminine form of “John”
2. Jocelyn (Hebrew, Latin, and German name) – “Joyful” or “member of the Germanic Gauts tribe”
3. Jocosa (Medieval English) – “Merry” or “playful”
4. Joyce (Latin and Norman) – “Lord”; originally a boy’s name but is now more popular as a girl’s name
5. Judah (Hebrew) – “Praise”

 

Biblical Names Starting With J

J Girl Names From The Bible

1. Jael (Hebrew) – Nature name meaning “ibex” or “mountain goat”
2. Jedidah (Hebrew) – “Beloved” or “friend”
3. Jerusha (Hebrew) – “Possession”
4. Jezebel (Hebrew) – “Where is the prince?”
5. Jochebed (Hebrew) – “God is glory”

 

J Boy Names From The Bible

1. Jacob (Hebrew) – “Supplanter”
2. Jeremiah (Hebrew) – “Yahweh (God) will exalt”
3. Jeroboam (Hebrew) – “The people contend”
4. Jesse (Hebrew) – “Gift”
5. Jethro (Hebrew) – “Abundance”
6. Joel (Hebrew) – “Yahweh is God”
7. Jonathan (Hebrew) – “Yahweh has given”
8. Joseph (Hebrew) – “He (God) will add”
9. Joshua (Hebrew) – “Yahweh is salvation”
10. Josiah (Hebrew) – “Yahweh supports”
11. Jude (Greek and English) – “Praised”; variant of “Judah”

 

Legendary Baby Names Starting With J

1. Jagannatha (Sanskrit) – “Master of the world”; titles for the Hindu gods Krishna and Vishnu 
2. Jamshid (Persian) – “Shining twin”; a mythological king of Persia
3. Janus (Latin) – “Archway”; Roman god of gateways and beginnings
4. Jimmu (Japanese boy name) – “Divine warrior”; the name of Japan’s legendary founder (also believed to be Japan’s first emperor)
5. Jörmungandr (Old Norse; “yor-man-gandr”) – Great,” “monster,” “magic wand,” or large”; legendary sea serpent that encircles the world according to Norse mythology
6. Joukahainen (Finnish; “yo-kah-hie-nehn”) – Young who challenges the old magician Väinämöinen to a spellcasting duel
7. Jove (Latin) – “Father of the sky”; another name for “Jupiter” (Roman god of the sky and king of the gods)
8. Juno (Indo-European and Latin) – “Young”; queen of the heavens and goddess in Roman mythology
9. Jupiter (Latin) – Roman god of the sky and the king of the gods

 

Nature-Inspired J Names

1. Jaci (Native American – Tupi girl name) – Name that means “moon”
2. Jacinth (English girl name) – “Orange gemstone”
3. Jagoda (Slavic) – Girl plant name meaning “strawberry”
4. Jela (Serbian and Croatian girl name) – “Fir tree”
5. Jelena (Slavic girl name) – “Fir tree”
6. Jemima (Hebrew girl name) – “Dove”
7. Jericho (Hebrew boy name) – “Moon” or “fragrant”
8. Jessamine (French girl name) – “Jasmin flower”
9. Jóhonaa’éí (Native American – Navajo boy name) – Name that means “sun”; pronounced as “JOE-ho-nah-Al”
10. Jökull (Icelandic boy name) – “Glacier” or “ice”; pronounced as “yo-kooch”
11. Jolanta (Baltic, Latin, and Spanish girl name) – Flower name meaning “violet”
12. Jonah (Hebrew boy name) – “Dove”
13. Jonquil (Latin girl name) – “Reed” 
14. Jorun (Norwegian name for boys) – “Horse” or “love”
15. Jostein (Old Norse boy name) – “Horse” or “stone”
16. Jothi (Indian – Tamil girl name) – Name that means “light”
17. Ju (Chinese girl name) – “Chrysanthemum”
18. Jumanah (Arabic girl name) – “Pearl”
19. Juniper (Latin unisex name) – “Juniper tree”
20. Jyotsana (Sanskrit girl name) – “Moonlight”

 

Musical J Names

1. Jagger (British boy name) – “One who cuts”; after English singer Mick Jagger
2. Jamyang (Tibetan unisex name) – “Song,” “gentle,” “soft,” or “voice” 
3. Jazz (English androgynous name) – “Energetic and lively musical genre”
4. Jolene (American) – “Beautiful bird”; musical girl name after the titular character of one of Dolly Parton’s famous songs

 

What Are Good Names That Start With J?

What Are Good Girl Names Starting With J?

1. Jacquetta (French girl name) – “Supplanter”; variant of “Jacques”
2. Jadzia (Polish name) – “Princess”; variant of “Hedwig”
3. Jahanara (Persian) – “Queen of the world” or “to decorate”
4. Jehona (Albanian) – “Echo”
5. Jeong (Korean girl name) – “Quiet,” “gentle,” “virtuous,” or “loyal” 
6. Justine (Latin and French name) – “Just” (justice)

 

Good Names For Boys Starting With J

1. Jadon (Hebrew) – “Thankful” or “He (God) will judge”
2. Jeffrey (Norman and German boy name) – “Peace,” “foreign,” “hostage” or “territory”
3. Jehiel (Hebrew) – “God will live”
4. Jerome (English and Latin) – Comes from the Greek name “Hieronymos,” meaning “sacred name”
5. Joachim (Hebrew) – “Established by God” or “raised by Yahweh”
6. Jocky (Scottish) – “Yahweh may protect”; variant of “Jack” 

 

What Are Unique Names That Start With The Letter J?

Unique Girl Names Starting With J

1. Jasna (Slavic) – “Sharp” or “clear”
2. Jitka (Czech) – “Jewish woman”
3. Joella (English) – “Yahweh is God”
4. Junia (Latin) – “Born in June”

 

Unique Boy Names Starting With J

1. Jachin (Hebrew) – “He (God) establishes”
2. Jacopo (Italian boy name) – “He who supplants”; variant of “Jacob”
3. Jehudi (Hebrew) – “Jew”
4. Jodocus (Latin and Celtic) – “Lord”; variant of “Joyce”

 

Rare & Uncommon J Names

Rare J Names For Boys

1. Jaak (Estonian) – “Supplanter”
2. Jarlath (Irish boy name) – “Ruler” or “sovereign”
3. Jatau (African – Hausa) – “Light” or “fair-colored”
4. Jevgēņijs (Latvian; “Yev-gen-iis”) – “Noble” or “well born”; variant of “Eugene”
5. Johano (Esperanto, an invented international language) – “God is great” 
6. Joseba (Basque) – “God will multiply”; variant of “Joseph”
7. Judicaël (Old Breton and French boy name) – “Generous lord”

 

Rare J Names For Girls

1. Jannat (Indian – Bengali and Urdu, the national language of Pakistan) – “Paradise” or “garden” 
2. Jescha (Hebrew) – “To behold”
3. Jeunesse (French) – “Youth”
4. Juanne (Sardinian, language in the Mediterranean) – “God is gracious”; feminine variant of “John”

 

Cool & Modern J Names (Plus Some Invented Ones)

Cool Girl Names Starting With The Letter J

1. Jacey (American) – “Healer” or “hyacinth”
2. Jayla (Hebrew and Sanskrit) – “God will protect” or “victory”
3. Jin (Korean and Chinese name) – “Gold,” “money,” “metal,” “tapestry,” or “ferry”
4. Joandra (English) – “Yahweh is merciful”
5. JoBeth (English) – “Pledged to God”
6. Jordyn (American and Hebrew) – “To flow down”; variant of “Jordan”
7. Journee (Old French and Latin) – “Journey” or “of the day”
8. Jun (Chinese, Korean, and Japanese name) – “Talented,” “pure,” “king,”
   “talented,” or “army”
9. Juul (Dutch) – “Youthful”
10. Jytte (Danish) – “Jewish woman”

 

Cool J Names For Boys

1. Jalen (African-American) – “Calm” and “tranquil”
2. Jaxon (British) – “Son of Jack”; variant of “Jackson”
3. Jordi (Catalan) – “Farmer”; variant of “George”

 

Famous People With J Names

Famous Guys With J Names

1. Jake – after American actor Jake Gyllenhaal
2. Jim – after Canadian-American actor Jim Carrey
3. Jon – after American singer-songwriter Jon Bon Jovi
4. Jordan – after American actor Jordan Peele
5. Josh – after American singer Josh Groban

 

Famous Ladies With J Names

1. Jessica – after American actresses Jessica Alba, Jessica Lange, and Jessica Biel
2. Jennifer – after American actresses Jennifer Lopez, Jennifer Aniston, and Jennifer Lawrence
3. Jada – after American actress Jada Pinkett Smith
4. Jayne – after American actress Jayne Mansfield and American TV personality Jayne Kennedy
5. Jordin – after American singer and actress Jordin Sparks-Thomas 
6. Joss – after English singer-songwriter Joss Stone

 

Famous Fictional Characters With J Names

1. Jafar – Disney name after a character (villain) in “Aladdin”
2. Jill – character in the nursery rhyme “Jack and Jill” 
3. Juliet – the titular character in Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet”

 

Long Names Starting With J

Long J Names For Girls

1. Jacobina
2. Jaroslava
3. Jathibiyya (jah-dee-bee-yah)
4. Jehosheba (je-ho-she-ba)
5. Jekaterina
6. Jessamyn
7. Johanneke
8. Josceline
9. Juliana

 

Long J Names For Boys

1. Jaakkima
2. Jacobus
3. Jamaluddin
4. Jaylaani
5. Jean-Baptiste
6. Jeconiah
7. Jefferson
8. Justinian

 

Short J Names & Nicknames

Short J Names For Girls

1. Jaana
2. Jamey
3. Jan
4. Jen
5. Ji
6. Jia
7. Jie
8. Jo
9. Joni
10. Jorie
11. Joy

 

Short J Names For Boys

1. Jae
2. Jalil
3. Jam
4. Jamal
5. Jani
6. Joab
7. Jorah
8. Jory

 

Virtue & Other Word Names Starting With J

1. Januarius
2. Journey
3. July
4. Jumanne
5. June
6. Justus

 

Favorite J Middle Names

Popular Boy Middle Names Starting With J

1. Justice
2. Juvenal

 

Sweet Girl Middle Names Starting With J

1. Jillian
2. Juliette

 

Gender-Neutral J Names

1. Jackie
2. Jaden
3. Jamie
4. Jean
5. Jens
6. Jess
7. Jet
8. Joey
9. Jools

 

Exotic J Names From Around The Globe

American J Names 

1. Jamuel (American, Hebrew, and Greek boy name) – “God has heard”; variant of “Samuel”
2. Javid (Latin, American, and Hebrew) – “Beloved”; variant of “David”
3. Jayden (Hebrew) – “God will judge” or “thankful”
4. Jaylen (Hebrew, American, and Greek) – “Healer” or “thankful” 

 

European & Ancient Greek J Names

1. Jacomina (Dutch and Hebrew) – “Supplanter” or “may God protect”; variant of “Jacob”
2. Jadran (Serbian, Slovene, and Croatian) – “The Adriatic Sea”; variant of “Adrian”
3. Jadranka (Slavic, Serbian, Croatian, and Slovenian) – “From Hadria (ancient Italian town)”
4. Jadvyga (Lithuanian) – “Battle” or “war”; variant of “Hedwig”
5. Jancsi (Hungarian) – “God is gracious”
6. Janika (Finnish and Estonian unisex name) – “God is gracious”; variant of “John”
7. Janina (Polish, Finnish, Lithuania, and German girl name) – Another variant of “John” 
8. Jefimija (Serbian and Greek) – “To use words of good omen”
9. Jenő (Hungarian and Turkish) – “Ancient Hungarian tribe” or “advisor and confidant”
10. Jeremias (Portuguese and Finnish) – “God will exalt”
11. Jerneja (Slovenian) – “Child of Talmai”
12. Jip (Frisian and Germanic) – “Bright” and “pledge” 
13. Jocasta (Greek girl name) – Name that means “moon”; the mother of Oedipus in Greek mythology

 

Spanish & Hispanic J Names

1. Jacinda (Portuguese and Spanish girl name) – “Hyacinth flower”
2. Jaslene (American, Spanish, and Filipino girl name) – Hispanic girl name meaning “gift from God”
3. Javier ( Spanish) – Hispanic boy name meaning “new house”; variant of “Xavier”
4. Jesenia (Latin American girl name) – “Palm trees”
5. Jesus (English and Spanish boy name) – “The Lord is salvation”; uncommon in English-speaking countries, but popular among Spanish speakers and Hispanics
6. Juan (Spanish and Manx) – “God is gracious”; variant of John”

 

J Names From Africa and Asia

1. Jale (Turkish and Persian girl name) – “Dew” or “hoarfrost” (hair-like frost)
2. Jalila (Arabic girl name) – “Important” or “exalted”
3. Janaka (Sanskrit boy name) – “Father”
4. Janan (Arabic –unisex name) – “Heart” or “soul” 
5. Jaswinder (Sanskrit unisex name) – “Praise,” “fame,” or “glory”
6. Jawdat (Arabic unisex name) – “Excellence” or “goodness”
7. Jengo (African – Swahili boy name) – “Building”
8. Jianhong (Chinese boy name) – “Establish,” “build,” “spacious,” or “vast”
9. Ji-Min (Korean boy name) – “My wisdom will be higher than the sky”
10. Jing (Chinese unisex name) – “Quiet,” “gentle,” or “essence”
11. Jitendra (Sanskrit) – “Conqueror of Indra (king of the god-like devas or deities)”
12. Jun’ichi (Japanese boy name) – “Obey,” “pure,” “one,” or “submit”
13. Jyrgal (Kyrgyz boy name) – “Happiness” 

 

More J Names For Your Baby

Other J Boy Names

1. Jaagup
2. Jabez
3. Jabr
4. Jabril
5. Jace
6. Jacenty
7. Jadranko
8. Jae-Seong
9. Jago
10. Jaime
11. Jairus
12. Jaka
13. Jakub
14. Jalo
15. JaMarcus
16. Jamari
17. Jameson
18. Jaquan
19. Jareth
20. Jax
21. Jay
22. Jeb
23. Jed
24. Jeffry
25. Jehohanan
26. Jensen
27. Jep
28. Jermaine
29. Jessie
30. Jett
31. Jezza
32. Jian
33. Jihoon
34. Jimeno
35. Jingyi
36. Jiří
37. Jiro
38. Ji-Soo
39. João
40. Joaquim
41. Joaquin
42. Jody
43. Joeri
44. Johnny
45. Jooseppi
46. Joost
47. Jörg
48. Jorge
49. José
50. Jouni
51. Jovi
52. Jowan
53. Jozo
54. Juanito
55. Jubal
56. Juda
57. Judas
58. Judd
59. Juha
60. Julek
61. Jules
62. Julij
63. Julio
64. Jung
65. Jun-Hof
66. Juozas
67. Jupp
68. Jure
69. Jurgen
70. Jurryt
71. Jyoti
72. Jyrki

 

Other J Girl Names

1. Jacaranda
2. Jacinta
3. Jacira
4. Jackalyn
5. Jacoba
6. Jacquette
7. Jadwiga
8. Jadyn
9. Jaga
10. Jagienka
11. Jagna
12. Jagusia
13. Jaki
14. Jaliyah
15. Jamesina
16. Jami
17. Janae
18. Janeka
19. Janel
20. Janetta
21. Janey
22. Janice
23. Janine
24. Janiyah
25. Janka
26. Janna
27. Jannette
28. Jantine
29. Jaromira
30. Jaslyn
31. Jasmina
32. Javiera
33. Jayanthi
34. Jaycee
35. Jayda
36. Jaylene
37. Jayma
38. Jayna
39. Jazmyn
40. Jeana
41. Jelisaveta
42. Jeltje
43. Jemma
44. Jenae
45. Jenelle
46. Jenessa
47. Jenna
48. Jennica
49. Jennigja
50. Jenny
51. Jeri
52. Jessi
53. Jesusa
54. Jette
55. Jimena
56. Jimmie
57. Jinny
58. Joaninha
59. Jodene
60. Johanne
61. Johna
62. Joisse
63. Jojo
64. Jolana
65. Jonelle
66. Jordana
67. Jorie
68. Josefa
69. Josette
70. Josiane
71. Josipa
72. Jovana
73. Jovka
74. Jozefien
75. Juanita
76. Judda
77. Judyta
78. Junon
79. Justy
80. Juventas

 

Baby Name Lists By Letter

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You can also find ideas from the top 15 baby name generators.

 

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References

(1) https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/index.html