Boy names that start with J reach from the very top of the U.S. charts down to the far edge of the data. James ranked sixth for American boys in 2025, and eleven more J names joined him in the top 100 that year (1).
This list gathers 100 of them, from steady classics like Joseph and Jacob to newer picks like Jax and Journey, plus genuine rarities such as Jovinus and Jyotis. Each entry carries its origin, meaning, pronunciation and current standing.
Every popularity figure below comes from the Social Security Administration, which ranks names from United States birth records only, so read them as an American snapshot rather than a global one.
Popularity at a Glance
The most popular names on this list in the United States, 1965 to 2025: James, Jack, John, Julian and Joseph.
100 Popular Male Names That Start with J
Check out 100 awesome boy names with J for your littlest joy!
Jaan
Jaan is the Estonian form of John, which traces back to the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning God is gracious. In Estonia it reads as a plain, well-worn classic, the sort of name that suits a grandfather and a newborn equally. American parents get the opposite effect, since the spelling is scarce here and the YAHN pronunciation asks for one gentle correction. That trade is the appeal: biblical roots, almost no competition on the playground.
- Origin: Estonian, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: YAHN
- Popularity: Jaan is rare in the U.S., ranked #12,771 for boys in 2025 with 5 births.
Jabez
Jabez belongs to a minor Old Testament figure whose few verses have outlasted much longer passages. His name means sorrow, a reference to the circumstances of his birth. What people remember instead is his prayer asking God to enlarge his territory and keep him from harm. Parents who choose Jabez are usually choosing the prayer rather than the sorrow.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Sorrow
- Pronunciation: JAY-behz
- Popularity: Jabez ranked #5,481 in the U.S. in 2025, given to 17 boys that year. Its best year was 2002, at #1,312.
Jace
Jace is the streamlined cousin of Jason, drawn from the Greek male name meaning healer. One syllable, a hard J, a clean finish: it sits comfortably beside Ace, Cade and Beau on a modern sibling list. It is also one of the busier names on this page, so your Jace will probably meet another. Jayce and Jase are the spellings you will be asked about.
- Origin: English, Greek
- Meaning: Healer
- Pronunciation: JAYS
- Variations: Jase, Jayce
- Namesakes: Jace Norman, an American actor best known for his role as Henry Hart in the Nickelodeon television series Henry Danger.
- Popularity: Jace sat at #114 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025.
Jacinto
Jacinto is the Spanish and Portuguese word for the hyacinth, the spring flower that Greek myth tied to rebirth and the fragility of life. That gives it a softer, more literary feel than most J names for boys. It carries beautifully in Spanish-speaking families and travels fine in English once the kha-THEEN-to pronunciation is settled. Its best-known bearer, playwright Jacinto Benavente, took the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1922.
- Origin: Spanish, Portuguese, Greek
- Meaning: Hyacinth flower
- Pronunciation: kha-THEEN-to, kha-SEEN-to
- Namesakes: Jacinto Benavente, a Spanish playwright awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1922.
- Popularity: Jacinto placed #2,857 among U.S. boys in 2025.
Jack
Jack began as Jankin, a medieval pet form of John, and it stopped needing its parent name centuries ago. It is short, warm and impossible to mispronounce, which explains most of its staying power. It faded badly in the middle of the last century and has climbed back about sixfold since its 1984 low, the biggest revival of any name on this list. Pop culture keeps feeding it too, from Jack Sparrow to Jack Dawson.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: JAK
- Namesakes: Jack Nicholson, an acclaimed American actor known for his roles in The Shining and Batman.
- Popularity: Jack ranked #15 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Jackson
Jackson started as an English surname meaning son of Jack, and it made the jump to first name so completely that the surname reading has faded. It hands you Jack as a ready-made nickname and Jax if you want something sharper. The Jaxon and Jaxson spellings are common enough that you will be spelling it out at the pediatrician’s office. Steady, unfussy and still very much in fashion.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: Son of Jack
- Pronunciation: JAK-son
- Variations: Jaxon, Jaxson, Jaxxon
- Namesakes: Jackson Pollock, an American artist known for his drip painting technique and large abstract compositions.
- Popularity: Jackson came in at #36 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jacob
Jacob is the Old Testament patriarch who wrestled an angel and walked away with a new name, Israel. The Hebrew original means supplanter, a nod to the birth story he shares with his brother Esau. It was the No. 1 name for American boys in 1999 and has been easing down the list ever since, which is a good place to be: familiar without being everywhere. It remains a strong name with deep religious roots.
- Origin: Latin, Greek, Hebrew
- Meaning: Supplanter
- Pronunciation: JAY-kub, YA-kawp, YAH-kob
- Variations: Jaycob
- Namesakes: Jacob Bernoulli, a prominent Swiss mathematician who made significant contributions to the field of probability theory.
- Popularity: Jacob sat at #43 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025. Its best year was 1999, at #1.
Jacoby
Jacoby is Jacob wearing a surname, and the extra syllable does real work. It sounds relaxed where Jacob sounds formal, and Coby or Jake are waiting whenever you want something shorter. Baseball fans will hear Jacoby Ellsbury first.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Son of Jacob
- Pronunciation: JAK-ah-bee, jah-KO-bee
- Variations: Jacobi
- Namesakes: Jacoby Ellsbury, a former professional baseball player known for his successful career with teams like the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees.
- Popularity: Jacoby placed #1,430 among U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 2008, at #422.
Jacques
Jacques is the French equivalent of James, carried by explorers, a president and one very famous oceanographer. The ZHAHK pronunciation is the whole charm and also the one hurdle in an American classroom. In the middle slot it adds French polish and asks nothing of your son; in the first slot it makes a statement.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Supplanter
- Pronunciation: ZHAHK
- Namesakes: Jacques Chirac, a prominent French politician who served as the President of France from 1995 to 2007.
- Popularity: Jacques is rare in the U.S., ranked #1,938 for boys in 2025 with 80 births.
Jaden
Jaden is one of several spellings of Jayden, generally traced to the Hebrew Jadon, meaning thankful. It rode the Aiden and Hayden wave and picked up extra momentum from Jaden Smith. That wave has receded hard: it is the steepest faller on this list, down about 66 percent over the last 10 years of births against the 10 before them. The upshot is a name that now reads settled rather than trendy.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Thankful
- Pronunciation: JAY-don
- Variations: Jadyn, Jaiden, Jayden, Jaydon
- Namesakes: Jaden Smith, an American actor, rapper, and son of Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith.
- Popularity: Jaden came in at #421 in the U.S. in 2025. Its best year was 2007, at #74.
Jagger
Jagger is an English occupational surname for a carter, though almost nobody hears the carter. What they hear is Mick, and the name carries a swagger because of it. It works best in a family that actually likes rock and roll, because the association is not going anywhere.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Carter
- Pronunciation: JAG-ur, JA-gur
- Popularity: Jagger sat at #885 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025.
Jago
Jago is the Cornish form of James, revived along with the rest of Cornwall’s naming heritage. It shares a root with the Spanish Santiago, so it sits comfortably in families tied to either place. Two syllables, an unusual sound in English-speaking rooms, and no obvious nickname, which some parents count as a feature.
- Origin: Cornish
- Meaning: Spear
- Pronunciation: JAY-goh
- Variations: Jagoe Jagow Jeago Jego
- Popularity: Jago last appeared in U.S. birth data in 2023, at #9,261.
Jahzeel
Jahzeel is a biblical boy’s name built from the Hebrew elements for divide and God. In the Old Testament he was a grandson of Jacob through Naphtali, and the clan descended from him was known as the Jahzeelites. The name barely registers in modern American birth records. For a family that wants something unmistakably scriptural and entirely unused, that is exactly the point.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God will divide
- Pronunciation: jah-ZEE-uhl
- Variations: Yachtze’el
- Popularity: Jahzeel is rare in the U.S., ranked #6,963 for boys in 2025 with 12 births.
Jai
Jai is a short, bright name with two roots: the Sanskrit word for victory and an English pet form of longer J names. It is a familiar male name among Indian communities worldwide, where the phrase Jai Shri Ram carries the sense of victory to Lord Rama. Both readings land on the same feeling of triumph. One syllable, two accepted pronunciations, JAY and JIE, so decide early which one is yours.
- Origin: English, Sanskrit
- Meaning: Supplanter, victory
- Pronunciation: JAY, JIE
- Namesakes: Jai Courtney, an Australian actor known for his roles in popular films like Suicide Squad and Terminator Genisys.
- Popularity: Jai ranked #1,460 in the U.S. in 2025, given to 122 boys that year. Its best year was 2014, at #1,016.
Jair
Jair is a Hebrew boy’s name meaning he shines. In the Old Testament, Jair was a judge who governed Israel for 22 years. The name works in English and Spanish-speaking households alike, though JAY-air and zha-EER are very different mouthfuls. Compact, scriptural and rarely duplicated.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: He shines
- Pronunciation: JAY-air, zha-EER
- Variations: Yair, Iair, Iairos
- Popularity: Jair stays scarce in the U.S., at #1,193 for boys in 2025.
Jairus
In the Bible, Jairus was a synagogue leader who begged Jesus to heal his dying daughter, and the account ends with the girl restored to life. That makes it one of the more moving names here, and one of the least used. JAY-rus is easy to say, and Jai trims it neatly.
- Origin: Greek, Hebrew
- Meaning: He shines
- Pronunciation: JAY-rus
- Variations: Iair, Iairos
- Popularity: Jairus placed #2,622 among U.S. boys in 2025.
Jake
Jake is the punchier short form of Jacob, standing on its own since the 19th century. It sounds easygoing rather than formal, which is precisely why some parents want it on the birth certificate instead of the nickname line. Actor Jake Gyllenhaal and musician Jake Bugg keep it in circulation.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: JAYK
- Namesakes: Jake Gyllenhaal, an accomplished American actor known for his roles in films like Brokeback Mountain, Nightcrawler, and Prisoners.
- Popularity: Jake ranked #457 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Jalen
Jalen is a modern American coinage, usually read as a blend of James and Allen, and it reached the U.S. charts in the 1970s. Basketball gave it momentum, first through Jalen Rose and later through a whole roster of players. It is easy to say, hard to misspell once seen, and it reads athletic without trying.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Brave lion
- Pronunciation: JAY-len
- Variations: Jaylen, Jaylin, Jaylon, Jalan
- Namesakes: Jalen Rose, a former professional basketball player who played for the Indiana Pacers and Chicago Bulls.
- Popularity: Jalen came in at #443 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jamal
Jamal comes from the Arabic word for beauty, and it is used widely across the Arab world and among Black American families. Its bearers run from political thinkers to basketball guards, so the name carries plenty of associations without belonging to any single one. Jamaal and Gamal are the usual variants.
- Origin: Arabic
- Meaning: Beauty
- Pronunciation: ja-MAL, jah-MAHL
- Variations: Jamaal, Gamal
- Namesakes: Jamal Crawford, an American basketball player considered one of the best ball handlers in the history of the NBA.
- Popularity: Jamal stays scarce in the U.S., at #1,197 for boys in 2025.
Jamarion
Jamarion is a contemporary American name, generally explained as Jamal crossed with Marion or an extension of Jamar. Its origins are recent enough that no etymology is settled. Four syllables give it an unhurried, formal sound, and Jay or Mari cut it down for daily use.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: Beloved, beauty
- Pronunciation: jah-MAHR-ee-ahn
- Popularity: Jamarion placed #1,785 among U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 2005, at #418.
James
James is the English form of Jacob by way of Latin and Greek, and it has barely left the American top 10 in a century. It belonged to an apostle, to English kings and to a long line of writers and actors. It held the No. 1 spot in 1940 and is still the highest ranked J name on this list today. Jamie and Jim are the traditional nicknames, though plenty of modern Jameses use neither.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: Supplanter
- Pronunciation: JAYMZ
- Variations: Jaymes
- Namesakes: James Cook, a British explorer known for his voyages to the Pacific Ocean.
- Popularity: James ranked #6 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Jameson
Jameson started as a patronymic “J” surname and now works as the longer, dressier route to James. The whiskey association is real and does not seem to trouble anyone. It offers Jamie, Jim and Sonny as nicknames, which is unusual range for one name.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Son of James
- Pronunciation: JAYM-ah-son
- Popularity: Jameson came in at #137 in the U.S. in 2025. Its best year was 2019, at #77.
Jamie
Jamie is the Scottish pet form of James that grew into a name of its own, used for boys and girls. It sounds warm and unbuttoned, the opposite of James in tone if not in origin. Its high point for American boys came in the 1970s, so today it reads quiet and a little retro.
- Origin: Scottish, English
- Meaning: Supplanter
- Pronunciation: JAY-mee
- Variations: Jaime, Jaimie, Jamey, Jami, Jayme
- Namesakes: Jamie Murray, a skilled British tennis player who won multiple Grand Slam titles.
- Popularity: Jamie sat at #858 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025.
Jannick
Jannick is a Danish elaboration of Jan, which descends from the Latin Johannes, meaning God is gracious. It is at home in Denmark, Norway and Germany and barely registers in American records. YAH-nik is the main thing you will be explaining.
- Origin: Danish, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: YAH-nik
- Variations: Jannik
- Namesakes: Jannick Top, a French musician, and bassist known for his contributions to the progressive rock genre.
- Popularity: Jannick last appeared in U.S. birth data in 2017, at #13,104.
Jared
Jared is a Hebrew name meaning descent, with an Old Testament pedigree behind it. It had a long American run from the 1970s onward and has since settled into comfortable middle ground. Actor Jared Leto keeps it visible.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Descent
- Pronunciation: JAY-ruhd
- Variations: Jarod, Jarred, Jarrod, Jerrod, Jerred
- Namesakes: Jared Leto, an American actor, musician, and producer known for his roles in the Dallas Buyers Club and Suicide Squad.
- Popularity: Jared ranked #396 for U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 1998, at #51.
Jareth
Jareth is an invented name, usually read as Jared crossed with Gareth. It arrived in 1986 with David Bowie’s Goblin King in Labyrinth, and that film is still the association most people reach for. It has never been common, which suits a name built for a fantasy villain.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Descent of valor
- Pronunciation: JAY-reth
- Popularity: Jareth ranked #1,879 in the U.S. in 2025, given to 84 boys that year. Its best year was 1987, at #1,447.
Jarl
Jarl was a rank before it was a name, the Old Norse title for a nobleman. Scandinavian families still use it, and it surfaces in American records only rarely. YAHRL is short, blunt and about as Norse as a syllable can sound.
- Origin: Old Norse
- Meaning: Chieftain
- Pronunciation: YAHRL
- Variations: Jarle
- Popularity: Jarl last appeared in U.S. birth data in 1972, at #4,683.
Jarrett
Jarrett is a variation of Garrett, from the Germanic elements ger, meaning spear, and walt, meaning power. It has been in use since the 19th century and had its best American showing in 1998. Jare and Rett are the obvious nicknames, and Rett in particular has aged well.
- Origin: English, Germanic
- Meaning: Power of the spear
- Pronunciation: JAR-it, JEHR-it
- Namesakes: Jarrett Jack, an American professional basketball coach, and former player, working as an assistant coach for the Phoenix Suns.
- Popularity: Jarrett placed #2,406 among U.S. boys in 2025.
Jason
In Greek mythology, Jason led the Argonauts after the Golden Fleece, and the name itself means healer. It hit No. 2 for American boys in 1974 and has been drifting down ever since. That makes it a rare thing: instantly familiar to every adult and uncommon on a preschool roster. Actor Jason Statham and musician Jason Mraz keep it in adult circulation.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Healer
- Pronunciation: JAY-son
- Variations: Jayceon, Jayson
- Namesakes: Jason Segel, an American actor, and comedian known for his roles in Forgetting Sarah Marshall and How I Met Your Mother.
- Popularity: Jason ranked #165 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Jasper
Jasper comes from the Persian ganzabara, meaning treasurer, and it is also a banded semiprecious stone long treated as a protective charm. Its best showing on record came in 2023, and it has held close to that level since. Jazz and Jas are the shortenings, though the full two syllables are hardly a burden.
- Origin: Latin, Hebrew
- Meaning: Treasurer
- Pronunciation: JAS-pur
- Variations: Casper, Kasper
- Namesakes: Jasper Johns, an American artist associated with the Pop Art movement, known for his iconic paintings and sculptures.
- Popularity: Jasper came in at #129 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jax
Jax is Jackson with everything trimmed away, and it appeared as a standalone name in the 1990s. It looks short on paper and lands sharp out loud, which is most of the appeal. Some families use it as the nickname for a longer name instead, keeping the formal option in reserve.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Son of Jack
- Pronunciation: JAKS
- Variations: Jaxx
- Popularity: Jax sat at #342 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025. Its best year was 2014, at #208.
Jaxton
Jaxton is a modern extension of Jackson, built for parents who love Jax but want more on the birth certificate. It first charted in the U.S. in the late 1990s and climbed through the 2010s. Expect the Jaxtyn spelling to come up.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Son of Jack
- Pronunciation: JAK-stun
- Variations: Jaxtyn
- Namesakes: Jaxon Mercey, a former voice actor for Ryder in the North American dub of PAW Patrol.
- Popularity: Jaxton held #667 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jayden
Jayden is the most common spelling of a name generally traced to the Hebrew Jadon, meaning thankful. It rose fast through the 2000s, peaked at No. 4 for American boys in 2010, and has been coming down since. It still sits inside the top 100, which makes it popular without being inescapable. Jay is the natural nickname.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Thankful
- Pronunciation: JAY-dun
- Variations: Jaden, Jadyn, Jaiden, Jaydon
- Namesakes: Jayden Stockley, an English professional soccer player for EFL League One side Fleetwood Town.
- Popularity: Jayden ranked #70 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Jean
Jean is the French form of John, worn by kings, philosophers and film stars, and it is pronounced ZHAHN rather than the English JEAN. In the U.S. the spelling is more often read as a girl’s name, so American families tend to use it in the middle slot. As a first name it belongs in a household where the French pronunciation will actually be used.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: ZHAHN, JEAN
- Variations: Jeanne, Jen, Gene
- Namesakes: Jean-Claude Van Damme, a Belgian retired martial artist who gained fame in the 1980s and 1990s for his roles in films like Bloodsport and Kickboxer.
- Popularity: Jean ranked #1,172 in the U.S. in 2025, given to 176 boys that year.
Jed
Jed is a short form of Jedidiah that went independent long ago. It has a front-porch quality, and it is one of the few three-letter names that sounds fully grown rather than clipped. Uncommon now, which is much of its charm.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: Beloved of God
- Pronunciation: JEHD
- Popularity: Jed stays scarce in the U.S., at #1,999 for boys in 2025. Its best year was 1978, at #484.
Jedidiah
Jedidiah was the second name given to Solomon in the Bible, built from the Hebrew yadid, meaning beloved, and yah, for God. Five syllables make it a commitment, but Jed and Didi are both waiting in the wings. It suits families who want a scriptural name with some grandeur left in it.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Beloved of God
- Pronunciation: jehd-i-DIE-ah
- Variations: Yedidyah
- Namesakes: Jedediah Smith, an American explorer, trapper, and fur trader in the 19th-century.
- Popularity: Jedidiah held #876 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jefferson
Jefferson is an English surname meaning son of Jeffrey, carried into first-name use by President Thomas Jefferson. It has the same presidential weight as Madison or Lincoln and gives you Jeff immediately. It has never been common as a given name, which keeps it clear of trend territory.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Son of Jeffrey
- Pronunciation: JEHF-ur-son
- Namesakes: Jefferson Farfán, a Peruvian soccer player who has had a successful career playing for several European clubs.
- Popularity: Jefferson ranked #831 for U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 1915, at #447.
Jeffrey
Jeffrey descends from a medieval Germanic name whose first element, fridu, means peace. It reached the U.S. top 10 in 1966 and has been quietly declining ever since. That makes it a dad-and-granddad name now, which is usually the moment before a name starts coming back.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Peace of the Geats
- Pronunciation: JEHF-ree
- Variations: Geoffrey, Jeffery, Jeffry, Geffrey, Godfrey
- Namesakes: Jeffrey Sachs, a widely respected economist and former director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University.
- Popularity: Jeffrey came in at #552 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jens
Jens is the Danish form of Johannes, from the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning God is gracious. It is a staple in Denmark and Germany and stays scarce in the U.S. YEHNS is one clean syllable and about as Scandinavian as it gets.
- Origin: Danish, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: YEHNS
- Namesakes: Jens Bergensten, a Swedish video game designer known for his work on the popular Minecraft game.
- Popularity: Jens stays scarce in the U.S., at #5,298 for boys in 2025.
Jensen
Jensen means son of Jens and belongs to the same family of Scandinavian patronymics as Hansen and Larsen. It fits the wider taste for surnames as first names, and it reached its best American rank in 2025. Jens works as a nickname if you want to point back at the Danish original.
- Origin: Danish, Hebrew
- Meaning: Son of Jens
- Pronunciation: JEHN-son
- Variations: Jenson
- Popularity: Jensen held #282 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jeremiah
Jeremiah was the prophet who warned Judah about the coming Babylonian invasion, and the name means God will exalt. It has been in continuous use since the Middle Ages and sits inside the U.S. top 100 today. Jerry, Jem and Miah all work, and none of them sounds dated.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God will exalt
- Pronunciation: jehr-i-MIE-ah
- Namesakes: Jeremiah Ratliff, a former professional American football defensive tackle who played in the NFL for 11 seasons.
- Popularity: Jeremiah ranked #88 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Jeremy
Jeremy is the English form of Jeremiah, smoothed down by centuries of use. It reached the U.S. top 20 in 1976 and has eased off since. Jer and Jez keep it casual when the full form feels too formal.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: God will exalt
- Pronunciation: JEHR-ah-mee, JEHR-mee
- Namesakes: Jeremy Irons, an English actor known for his distinctive voice and intense performances.
- Popularity: Jeremy came in at #292 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jericho
Jericho is a place name from the Hebrew yareach, meaning moon, and it belongs to the ancient city whose walls fell in the Book of Joshua. It has an unusual rhythm for a boy’s name, three syllables landing on an open vowel. It reached its best American rank in 2023, so it is rising without being crowded.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: City of the moon
- Pronunciation: JEHR-i-ko
- Popularity: Jericho sat at #886 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025. Its best year was 2023, at #884.
Jerome
Jerome comes from the Greek Hieronymos, meaning sacred name. Saint Jerome translated the Bible into Latin, producing the Vulgate that the Church treated as standard for centuries. The name peaked in the U.S. in 1938 and has been out of the top 1,000 for years, which puts it squarely in vintage-revival territory. Jerry is the classic nickname.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Sacred name
- Pronunciation: jah-ROM
- Namesakes: Jerome Kern, an American composer of musical theater known for his musicals Show Boat, Roberta, and Smoke Gets in Your Eyes.
- Popularity: Jerome placed #1,257 among U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 1938, at #93.
Jerry
Jerry is the catch-all short form for Jeremy, Jerome, Gerald and half a dozen other Jer- names. It peaked in the U.S. in 1940, when a generation of servicemen named Gerald answered to it. Today it reads friendly and unpretentious, the name of somebody easy to talk to.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: God will exalt
- Pronunciation: JEHR-ee
- Variations: Jere, Jeri, Jerri, Jerrie
- Namesakes: Jerry Seinfeld, an American comedian, actor, and producer best known for his role in the television sitcom Seinfeld.
- Popularity: Jerry ranked #907 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Jesse
Jesse is the Hebrew name of King David’s father and means gift. American families have used it steadily since the 19th century, and it still sits inside the top 200. Track star Jesse Owens and actor Jesse Eisenberg give it range. Jessie and Jessy are the listed variants, so the final letter is worth deciding on early.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Gift
- Pronunciation: JEHS-ee
- Variations: Jessie, Jessy
- Namesakes: Jesse Jackson, a prominent civil rights activist, Baptist minister, and politician.
- Popularity: Jesse came in at #184 in the U.S. in 2025. Its best year was 1981, at #37.
Jethro
Jethro comes from the Hebrew yeter, meaning abundance. In the Bible he is Moses’s father-in-law, remembered for the practical counsel he gave Moses about leading a crowd. The name is rare in the U.S. and carries a slightly rustic sound.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Abundance
- Pronunciation: JETH-ro
- Popularity: Jethro sat at #953 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025.
Jett
Jett is the English word for a deep black mineral and for an aircraft both, so it arrives with speed built in. It doubles as a short form of Jethro if you want scriptural cover for a very modern-sounding name. It reached its best American rank in 2024 and now sits inside the top 200.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Aircraft, black color
- Pronunciation: JEHT
- Popularity: Jett held #169 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jettison
Jettison is a verb before it is a name: to throw cargo overboard to lighten a ship. As a name it is unusual to the point of being startling, though Jett trims it back to something ordinary. It appears in American birth records only sporadically.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: To throw
- Pronunciation: JET-uh-suhn
- Popularity: Jettison last appeared in U.S. birth data in 2024, at #10,348.
Jex
Jex is a small, odd, likable name with no settled origin. It gets read as a variant of Jack, a clipping of Alexander or Dexter, or simply a sound somebody liked. The X ending puts it in company with Jax and Knox, and it is far rarer than either.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: JECKS
- Popularity: Jex ranked #11,273 in the U.S. in 2025, given to 6 boys that year. Its best year was 2018, at #6,899.
Jiahao
Jiahao is a Chinese given name combining jia, meaning good, with hao, which carries the sense of family and fortune. It is a common choice among Mandarin-speaking families and reaches American records mainly through them. The CHYAH-KHOW pronunciation takes practice for English speakers.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Good family
- Pronunciation: CHYAH-KHOW
- Popularity: Jiahao last appeared in U.S. birth data in 2017, at #11,410.
Jian
Jian is a Chinese name with several readings depending on the characters used, among them to build, health and strong. It is also a widespread Chinese surname. One beat in Mandarin, two for most English speakers, and rare enough in the U.S. to stay distinctive.
- Origin: Chinese
- Meaning: Health
- Pronunciation: CHYEHN
- Popularity: Jian placed #4,611 among U.S. boys in 2025.
Jibril
Jibril is the Arabic name of the archangel Gabriel, who in Islamic belief revealed the Quran to the Prophet Muhammad. That gives it the standing in Muslim families that Gabriel holds in Christian ones. Jabril is the common alternate spelling.
- Origin: Arabic, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is my strong man
- Pronunciation: jeeb-REEL
- Variations: Jabril
- Popularity: Jibril is rare in the U.S., ranked #2,780 for boys in 2025 with 46 births. Its best year was 2009, at #2,021.
Jimmy
Jimmy is the friendly short form of James and has been used on its own since the medieval period. It peaked in the U.S. in 1944 and now belongs mostly to comedians, musicians and one former president. Movies have handed it a mild wise-guy reputation, which somehow makes it warmer rather than colder.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: Supplanter
- Pronunciation: JIM-ee
- Variations: Jimi
- Namesakes: Jimmy Carter, a former American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States from 1977 to 1981.
- Popularity: Jimmy came in at #847 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jinx
Jinx began as a word for bad luck, taken from the Greek name for the wryneck, a bird long tied to charms and superstition. It turns up more often as a nickname or stage name than a legal one. If you want something with a mischievous edge and no baggage from a previous generation, it qualifies.
- Origin: Greek
- Meaning: Wryneck
- Pronunciation: JINGKS
- Variations: Jynx
- Popularity: Jinx stays scarce in the U.S., at #11,363 for boys in 2025.
Jiro
Jiro combines the Japanese elements ji, meaning two, and ro, meaning son, and it was traditionally given to a second son. It still works that way in Japan, where it often forms part of a longer compound name. In the 2025 American data it is the rarest ranked name on this page, which is quite a claim on a list this long.
- Origin: Japanese
- Meaning: Two sons
- Pronunciation: JEE-RO
- Variations: Jirō, Jirou
- Namesakes: Jiro Ono, a world-renowned Japanese sushi chef, widely considered a master of his craft.
- Popularity: Jiro placed #12,885 among U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 1918, at #1,629.
Joab
Joab was David’s army commander in the Old Testament, effective, ruthless and eventually undone by both. The name means God is Father and has the blunt, single-purpose sound of a very old name. A handful of American boys receive it each year.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God is Father
- Pronunciation: JO-ab
- Variations: Ioab
- Popularity: Joab is rare in the U.S., ranked #2,319 for boys in 2025 with 60 births.
João
João is the Portuguese form of John, from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning God is gracious, and it is a mainstay in Portugal and Brazil. The nasal joh-ow sound has no English equivalent, so expect an approximation here. Jo is the ready-made nickname. American federal data has no record of it, which tells you how seldom the tilde survives the trip.
- Origin: Portuguese, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: joh-ow
- Namesakes: Joao Rodríguez, a Colombian professional soccer player who currently plays as a forward for the Colombian club Deportivo Cali.
- Popularity: João falls below the five-birth line the Social Security Administration publishes, so U.S. federal data does not rank it.
Joaquin
Joaquin is the Spanish form of Joachim, a Hebrew name meaning God will establish. Actor Joaquin Phoenix has made WAH-keen familiar to English speakers in a way it was not a generation ago. It sits inside the U.S. top 400 and carries an artistic streak that parents seem drawn to.
- Origin: English, Spanish
- Meaning: God will establish
- Pronunciation: WAH-keen
- Variations: Joaquín, Joakim
- Namesakes: Joaquin Phoenix, an American actor, producer, and activist who has received numerous awards for his work in the film industry.
- Popularity: Joaquin sat at #355 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025.
Jody
Jody is either a spin on Judy or a diminutive of Joseph, and for boys it owes most of its history to the young hero of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings’s novel The Yearling. It has drifted toward girls in recent decades. As a boy’s name now it reads gentle and a little vintage.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: He will add
- Pronunciation: JO-dee
- Variations: Jodie
- Namesakes: Jody Scheckter, a retired South African racing driver who won the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship in 1979.
- Popularity: Jody placed #3,057 among U.S. boys in 2025.
Joel
Joel joins the Hebrew elements yo and el, both names for God, and belongs to one of the twelve minor prophets. American families have used it steadily since the late 1800s without ever making it a trend. It is one of the quieter names in the top 250 and it spells itself anywhere in the world.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Yahweh is God
- Pronunciation: JOWL
- Variations: Yoel
- Namesakes: Joel Whitburn, an American music historian best known for compiling popular music chart data.
- Popularity: Joel ranked #219 for U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 1981, at #65.
Joey
Joey is the nickname form of Joseph, Joel, Josiah and Joshua all at once. It had its American peak decades ago and now reads affectionate rather than formal. The baby kangaroo association is unavoidable and mostly charming.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: He will add
- Pronunciation: JO-ee
- Namesakes: Joey Logano, a professional race car driver who competes full-time in the NASCAR Cup Series.
- Popularity: Joey came in at #877 in the U.S. in 2025.
Johan
Johan is the Scandinavian and German name that corresponds to John, from the Hebrew Yochanan. It has been in use in Sweden since the Middle Ages and now appears steadily on American birth certificates. The stress trips people up at first, so expect to say it twice.
- Origin: Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, German, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: YOO-an
- Variations: Johann
- Namesakes: Johan Christian Fabricius, a Danish zoologist best known for cataloging and classifying insect species.
- Popularity: Johan sat at #572 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025.
Johannes
Johannes is the Latin form of John and the source of Jan, Jens, Hans and Johan. It has been standard in Scandinavia and German-speaking Europe since the Middle Ages. Behind it sits a long line of painters, scientists and inventors, Gutenberg among them. In the U.S. it stays uncommon, and Hans or Jo make it easy to live with day to day.
- Origin: Latin, Greek, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: yo-HA-nuhs
- Namesakes: Johannes Gutenberg, a German inventor credited with inventing the mechanical printing press.
- Popularity: Johannes placed #2,499 among U.S. boys in 2025.
John
John is the English form of the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning God is gracious, and it carries major Old and New Testament figures behind it. It was the No. 1 name for American boys as recently as 1913 and still sits inside the top 25 more than a century later. Very few names anywhere can show that kind of durability. Its nicknames, Jack and Johnny, have both become full names in their own right.
- Origin: English, Latin, Greek, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: JAHN, JAWN
- Variations: Jon
- Namesakes: John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States from 1961 to 1963.
- Popularity: John ranked #23 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Johnny
Johnny is John with a friendly ending, used as a standalone name since the 19th century. Johnny Cash and Johnny Depp have given it a permanent streak of cool. It looks informal on paper and sounds completely at home out loud.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: JAHN-ee, JAWN-ee
- Variations: Johnie, Johnnie
- Namesakes: Johnny Cash, a legendary American singer and songwriter considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th-century.
- Popularity: Johnny came in at #458 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jonah
Jonah means dove in Hebrew, and his three days inside a great fish is one of the few Bible stories almost everyone can retell. The name carries themes of repentance and mercy rather than punishment. It reached its best American rank in 2023 and sits inside the top 150, so it is well known without being overused.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Dove
- Pronunciation: JO-nah
- Namesakes: Jonah Hill, an American actor, director, producer, screenwriter, and comedian.
- Popularity: Jonah sat at #128 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025. Its best year was 2023, at #124.
Jonas
Jonas is the Greek and Latin form of Jonah, used across much of Europe and ranked in a dozen countries. It keeps the dove meaning with a slightly more formal finish. In the U.S. it hovers around the top 600, familiar but far from crowded.
- Origin: Greek, Hebrew
- Meaning: Dove
- Pronunciation: JO-nuhs, YOO-nas
- Variations: Yunus, Younes, Jónas, Joonas
- Namesakes: Jonas Björkman, a retired Swedish professional tennis player who reached the world number 1 ranking in doubles.
- Popularity: Jonas held #599 in the U.S. in 2025.
Jonathan
Jonathan comes from the Hebrew yeho, for God, and natan, meaning to give. In the Old Testament he is Saul’s son and David’s closest friend, which is where the name’s reputation for loyalty comes from. It reached the U.S. top 20 in 1988 and still sits inside the top 100. Jon, Jonny and Nathan are all available, which is handy for a boy who wants to choose later.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God has given
- Pronunciation: JAHN-ah-thun
- Variations: Johnathan, Johnathon, Jonathon, Jonatan
- Namesakes: Jonathan Swift, a satirist, essayist, and poet best known for writing Gulliver’s Travels, A Modest Proposal, and A Tale of a Tub.
- Popularity: Jonathan ranked #89 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Jools
Jools is a British pet form of Julian, Julia and the other Jul- names, which trace back to Jupiter. Musician and broadcaster Jools Holland is the reason most people have heard it. American federal data does not record it at all, so it stays a genuine rarity here.
- Origin: English, Greek
- Meaning: Downy-bearded
- Pronunciation: JOOLZ
- Variations: Jules
- Namesakes: Jools Holland, an English pianist, bandleader, TV presenter, and host of the music program Later… with Jools Holland on BBC Two.
- Popularity: Jools falls below the five-birth line the Social Security Administration publishes, so U.S. federal data does not rank it.
Jordan
Jordan comes from the Hebrew yarad, meaning flow down, and it names a river and a country as well as a person. It peaked for American boys in 1997, at the height of Michael Jordan’s career, and it still sits inside the top 150. It works for boys and girls, so the Jordin and Jordyn spellings are worth settling early.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: Flow down
- Pronunciation: JAWR-duhn
- Variations: Jordin, Jordon, Jordyn
- Namesakes: Jordan Matter, a renowned American portrait and dance photographer.
- Popularity: Jordan sat at #131 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025.
Jordy
Jordy is the casual form of Jordan and has served as a given name since the mid-20th century. It sounds young in a way some parents love and others reserve for the nickname slot. Jordi is the listed variant spelling.
- Origin: English, Hebrew
- Meaning: Flowing down
- Pronunciation: JAWR-dee
- Variations: Jordi
- Popularity: Jordy placed #1,261 among U.S. boys in 2025.
Jorge
Jorge is the Spanish and Portuguese form of George, from the Greek for earthworker. It is a fixture across Spanish-speaking countries and sits comfortably inside the U.S. top 350. HOAR-hey is worth teaching once rather than correcting forever.
- Origin: Spanish, Portuguese, Greek
- Meaning: Earthworker
- Pronunciation: HOAR-hey
- Namesakes: Jorge Luis Borges, an Argentine writer and poet considered one of the most influential literary figures of the 20th-century.
- Popularity: Jorge ranked #323 for U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 1993, at #107.
Joseph
Joseph comes from the Hebrew Yosef, meaning he will add, and it belongs to two central biblical figures: Jacob and Rachel’s son, and Jesus’s earthly father. It has never left the American top 50, a run almost no other name can match. Joe, Joey and Jos give it three very different registers.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: He will add
- Pronunciation: JO-sef, YO-zehf
- Variations: Josef
- Namesakes: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, a well-known American actor, filmmaker, and entrepreneur.
- Popularity: Joseph came in at #29 in the U.S. in 2025.
Josh
Josh is the short form of Joshua, from the Hebrew Yehoshua, meaning God is salvation. It took off in the 1970s alongside its parent name and now works more often as a nickname than a legal first name. On its own it feels relaxed and unfussy.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: God is salvation
- Pronunciation: JOHSH
- Namesakes: Josh Hutcherson, an American actor best known for his role as Peeta Mellark in The Hunger Games film series.
- Popularity: Josh stays scarce in the U.S., at #1,703 for boys in 2025.
Joshua
Joshua succeeded Moses and led the Israelites into the Promised Land, and the name means God is salvation. It hit No. 3 for American boys in 2002 and has been easing down ever since. Josh is the default nickname, though plenty of Joshuas keep all three syllables.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God is salvation
- Pronunciation: JAHSH-oo-ah
- Namesakes: Joshua Jackson, a Canadian-American actor known for his roles in the Dawson’s Creek and Fringe TV series.
- Popularity: Joshua held #66 in the U.S. in 2025. Its best year was 2002, at #3.
Josiah
Josiah was a king of Judah remembered for his religious reforms, and the name means God supports. It has climbed steadily into the U.S. top 60 without ever feeling like a fad. Joss, Si and Jos all work as nicknames, and none of them is the obvious one, which is part of the appeal.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God supports
- Pronunciation: jo-SIE-ah
- Variations: Iosias
- Namesakes: Josiah Willard Gibbs, an American theoretical physicist, and chemist who made significant contributions to the fields of thermodynamics.
- Popularity: Josiah ranked #54 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Josias
Josias is the Spanish and Latin form of Josiah, tied to the same reforming king of Judah. It has the vintage sound that biblical names are trading on right now, minus the familiarity of David or Daniel. It reached its best American rank in 2025, so the revival is measurable rather than theoretical.
- Origin: Spanish, Latin, Hebrew
- Meaning: God supports
- Pronunciation: jo-SIE-uhs
- Popularity: Josias came in at #950 in the U.S. in 2025.
Joss
Joss can be a short form of Joseph or of Jocelyn, which goes back to a Germanic name for a member of the Geats. It is unisex, one syllable and slightly offbeat. Parents who like Jess but want something less used tend to land here.
- Origin: English, Frankish
- Meaning: The Geats
- Pronunciation: JAWS
- Popularity: Joss stays scarce in the U.S., at #9,283 for boys in 2025.
Jotham
Jotham was a king of Judah who succeeded his father Uzziah, ruled for 16 years and spent much of that time strengthening Jerusalem’s defenses. The name means God is perfect, and Yotam is the modern Hebrew spelling. It is rare in American records and has the sturdy two-syllable shape of the older scriptural names.
- Origin: Hebrew
- Meaning: God is perfect
- Pronunciation: JO-thum
- Variations: Yotam
- Popularity: Jotham placed #5,714 among U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 1982, at #3,037.
Journey
Journey is a word name, and an unusually optimistic one, used for boys and girls alike. It suits families who want the name itself to carry a wish rather than a translation. For boys it sits inside the U.S. top 500.
- Origin: English, Latin
- Meaning: Of the day
- Pronunciation: JUR-nee
- Popularity: Journey ranked #411 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Jovan
Jovan is the Serbian and Macedonian form of John, used across the Balkans and beyond. It shares the Hebrew root meaning God is gracious with every other name in that large family. YO-van has an easy, rolling sound, and Jovie or Van shorten it without effort.
- Origin: Serbian, Macedonian, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: YO-van
- Namesakes: Jovan Cvijić, a Serbian geographer, ethnologist, and anthropologist who significantly contributed to Balkan studies.
- Popularity: Jovan ranked #1,746 in the U.S. in 2025, given to 93 boys that year.
Jove
Jove is another name for Jupiter, from the Latin Iovis, and it belongs to the Roman god of the sky. It is short, mythic and a little theatrical. Parents drawn to a magical name for their child usually find it on the same shortlist as Orion and Atlas.
- Origin: Roman
- Meaning: Father
- Pronunciation: JOV
- Popularity: Jove stays scarce in the U.S., at #7,931 for boys in 2025. Its best year was 2020, at #5,564.
Jovinus
Jovinus is a Roman name meaning devoted to Jove, so it carries the sky god with it. American federal data has no record of it, which makes it one of the most obscure entries on this page. For a family that wants something Roman and genuinely unused, that is the whole attraction.
- Origin: Roman, Latin
- Meaning: Devoted to Jove
- Pronunciation: jo-VIN-nuhs
- Popularity: Jovinus falls below the five-birth line the Social Security Administration publishes, so U.S. federal data does not rank it.
Juan
Juan is the Spanish form of John and one of the most widely used names in the Spanish-speaking world. Kings, presidents and the protagonist of Byron’s Don Juan have all carried it. It sits inside the U.S. top 200 and has done so for generations.
- Origin: Spanish, Manx Gaelic, Hebrew
- Meaning: God is gracious
- Pronunciation: WAHN, yoo-ahn
- Namesakes: Juan Perón, an Argentine military officer and politician who served as the President of Argentina from 1946 to 1955.
- Popularity: Juan ranked #159 for U.S. boys in 2025. Its best year was 1999, at #46.
Jude
Jude is a short form of Judah, from the Hebrew for praise. It is tied to Saint Jude Thaddeus, one of the twelve apostles and the patron saint of lost causes. It reached its best American rank in 2019 and has stayed close to it since. One syllable, no nickname needed.
- Origin: English, Greek, Hebrew
- Meaning: Praise
- Pronunciation: JOOD
- Namesakes: Jude Law, an English actor known for his roles in films like The Talented Mr. Ripley, Cold Mountain, and Sherlock Holmes.
- Popularity: Jude came in at #155 in the U.S. in 2025.
Judson
Judson began as a surname meaning son of Jud and moved into first-name use in the 19th century. It has the same shape as Hudson and Emerson but far less company. Jud is the nickname, and it sounds older than the full name does.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Son of Jud
- Pronunciation: JUD-son
- Popularity: Judson sat at #934 on the U.S. boys’ list in 2025.
Julek
Julek is a Polish pet form of Julian or Julius, a name commonly used in Polish and Jewish families. The -ek ending is affectionate in Polish, which builds warmth right into it. American federal data has no record of the spelling.
- Origin: Polish, Roman, Greek
- Meaning: Downy-bearded
- Pronunciation: YOO-lehk
- Namesakes: Julek Heller, a Polish-born British artist, and illustrator for books like The Wind in the Willows and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.
- Popularity: Julek falls below the five-birth line the Social Security Administration publishes, so U.S. federal data does not rank it.
Julian
Julian comes from the Roman family name Julius, and emperors, saints, artists and athletes have all worn it. It stands at the highest American rank it has ever held, inside the top 25. Jules and Jude both work as nicknames, and neither is the predictable choice. Elegant without being fragile, which is a hard balance for a boy’s name to strike.
- Origin: English, Roman, Greek
- Meaning: Downy-bearded
- Pronunciation: JOO-lee-uhn
- Namesakes: Julian Assange, an Australian journalist, publisher, and activist who founded WikiLeaks in 2006.
- Popularity: Julian ranked #25 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Julius
Julius comes from the Greek ioulos, meaning downy-bearded, and it is the Roman family name behind Julian. Julius Caesar is unavoidable, and for some parents that is precisely the point. It sits in the U.S. top 450, familiar but far from common.
- Origin: Roman, Greek
- Meaning: Downy-bearded
- Pronunciation: JOO-lee-uhs
- Variations: Iulius
- Namesakes: Julius Caesar, a Roman politician and general who played a central role in the rise of the Roman Empire.
- Popularity: Julius came in at #424 in the U.S. in 2025.
Juneau
Juneau is the capital of Alaska, named for Joe Juneau, the prospector who struck gold there in 1880. As a name it borrows the state’s frontier reputation and sounds like Juno with a different backstory. It stays rare in American records.
- Origin: French
- Meaning: Young
- Pronunciation: JOO-no
- Popularity: Juneau stays scarce in the U.S., at #5,631 for boys in 2025.
Jung
Jung is a Korean name and surname with several meanings depending on the characters used, among them righteous, brave and gentle. It appears more often as part of a two-syllable Korean given name than on its own. It has not turned up in recent American data.
- Origin: Korean
- Meaning: Gentle
- Pronunciation: CHUNG
- Popularity: Jung last appeared in U.S. birth data in 2002, at #10,014.
Junior
Junior is the English word for a son who carries his father’s name, used as a first name in its own right. It says something about family before it says anything else, which is either the appeal or the reason to pass.
- Origin: English
- Meaning: Young one
- Pronunciation: JOON-yur
- Namesakes: Junior Seau, a professional American football player who played in the NFL as a linebacker for 20 seasons.
- Popularity: Junior ranked #752 for U.S. boys in 2025.
Juno
Juno was the Roman goddess of marriage and childbirth, and the name has been used for boys and girls since the 2007 film put it back in circulation. NASA’s Juno spacecraft, which studies Jupiter, gave it a second life entirely. It reached its best American rank for boys in 2025.
- Origin: Roman
- Meaning: Young
- Pronunciation: JOO-no
- Popularity: Juno ranked #1,252 in the U.S. in 2025, given to 179 boys that year.
Jupiter
Jupiter is the Roman god of thunder and the largest planet in the solar system, and the Latin Iuppiter means father. It is the fastest riser on this list, up about 511 percent over the last 10 years of births compared with the 10 before them. It is still rare in absolute terms, so it turns heads without being unheard of.
- Origin: Roman
- Meaning: Father
- Pronunciation: JOO-pi-tur
- Popularity: Jupiter stays scarce in the U.S., at #2,205 for boys in 2025. Its best year was 2022, at #1,562.
Jurgen
Jurgen is the German and Dutch form of George, from the Greek Georgios, meaning farmer. It is common in Germany and rare in the U.S., where the umlaut in Jürgen usually gets dropped. YUR-gen is close enough for most conversations.
- Origin: Dutch, Greek
- Meaning: Earthworker
- Pronunciation: YUR-gen
- Variations: Jurriaan, Jürgen
- Namesakes: Jürgen Klinsmann, a retired German soccer player and former manager of the German national team.
- Popularity: Jurgen placed #10,169 among U.S. boys in 2025.
Justice
Justice is a word name from the Latin justitia, used as a given name since the 17th century for boys and girls. It states its virtue outright, which some families love and others find heavy. It peaked in the U.S. in 1996.
- Origin: English, French
- Meaning: Justice
- Pronunciation: JUS-tis
- Popularity: Justice is rare in the U.S., ranked #1,113 for boys in 2025 with 193 births.
Justin
Justin comes from the Latin justus, meaning just, and it belonged to the early Christian philosopher Justin Martyr. It reached the U.S. top 10 in 1988 and has been coming down since, which puts it in the sweet spot for parents who want familiar rather than fashionable. Three famous Justins keep it in the air: Bieber, Timberlake and Trudeau.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Just
- Pronunciation: JUS-tin
- Namesakes: Justin Timberlake, an American singer, and songwriter who rose to fame as part of the boy band NSYNC in the late 90s.
- Popularity: Justin came in at #233 in the U.S. in 2025.
Justus
Justus is the Latin word for just and the original behind Justin. Chemist Justus von Liebig and publisher Justus Perthes are its best-known bearers. It sounds more formal than Justin and is far less used.
- Origin: Latin
- Meaning: Just
- Pronunciation: YUWS-tuws, JUS-tuhs
- Variations: Iustus
- Popularity: Justus stays scarce in the U.S., at #1,952 for boys in 2025.
Jyotis
Jyotis is a Sanskrit word meaning light or radiance, and it carries a sense of spiritual illumination in Hindu tradition. It is unisex, though it goes mostly to boys. American federal data has no record of it, so it stays genuinely rare here.
- Origin: Sanskrit
- Meaning: Light
- Pronunciation: joh-tis
- Variations: Jyoti, Jothi, Jyothi, Joti
- Popularity: Jyotis falls below the five-birth line the Social Security Administration publishes, so U.S. federal data does not rank it.
