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Boy Dog Names That Start With J

  1. Jonah

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "dove"

    • Description:

      Jonah, the name of the Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by the whale, only to emerge unharmed three days later, is increasingly appreciated by parents looking for a biblical name less common than Jacob or Joshua, yet not too obscure. Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif.
  2. Jedidiah

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "beloved of the Lord"

    • Description:

      Jedidiah, an Old Testament name with a touch of Gunsmoke-era western panache, is right in line to be revived along with the other biblical -iah names.
  3. Jake

    • Origin:

      Hebrew, diminutive of Jacob

    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"

    • Description:

      This unpretentious, accessible, and optimistic ("everything's jake" -- meaning OK) short form of the top name Jacob is itself widely used, though more parents these days are opting for the full name Jacob. Jake (born Jacob) Gyllenhall is its most prominent current bearer.
  4. Jago

    • Origin:

      Spanish and Cornish variation of Jacob

    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"

    • Description:

      Jago is a dashing alternative to overused favorite Jacob.
  5. Julius

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "youthful, downy-bearded"

    • Description:

      Immortal through its association with the ancient Caesar (it was his clan name), Julius may still lag behind Julian, but is definitely starting to make a comeback, and in fact feels more cutting edge, in line with the current trend for Latin -us endings.
  6. Jay

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "jaybird"

    • Description:

      Though this feels like a modern invention, Jay has been in use for centuries. Early Jays often were named in honor of founding father John Jay, whose surname derived from the jaybird. A popular mid-century choice, Jay was in the Top 100 from 1956 to 1970. In the last couple of decades he was replaced by such more elaborate forms as Jayden, Jaylen, and Jayce. But Jay could make a comeback in tandem with cousins May, Kay, Fay, and Ray.
  7. Jax

    • Origin:

      Modern invented name, English

    • Meaning:

      "God is Gracious"

    • Description:

      With its cool -X ending, Jax is an update on the classic nickname Jack, likely inspired by the rise of Jackson. It garnered attention in the US thanks to the game, Mortal Kombat II back in the '90s, and was pushed up the charts when it was used in the show Sons of Anarchy, in which Jackson "Jax" Teller is the central character.
  8. Jerry

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Gerald or Jerome, German or Greek

    • Meaning:

      "ruler with the spear or sacred name"

    • Description:

      Jerry is one of those short forms that, like Mike and Debbie, rose to popularity on the coattails of their formal versions. The equivalents today are nickname names like Ellie and Theo.
  9. Justin

    • Origin:

      Latin

    • Meaning:

      "fair, righteous"

    • Description:

      Justin has been widely popular since the 1980s, when parents were seeking a fresher 'J' boys’ name to replace Jason, Jeremy and Jonathan. It's been dipping in popularity a bit in recent years but it reached as high as Number 9 in 1990. At this point it's Justin that is suffering from overexposure.
  10. Jethro

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "excellence"

    • Description:

      Jethro, though the biblical father-in-law of Moses, has suffered for a long time from a Beverly Hillbilly image, but some really adventurous parents might consider updating and urbanizing it and transitioning it into the hip o-ending category.
  11. Jerome

    • Origin:

      Greek

    • Meaning:

      "sacred name"

    • Description:

      Jerome has a bespectacled, serious, studious image, just like its namesake saint, who was a brilliant scholar. St. Jerome is the patron saint of students, librarians, and archaeologists.
  12. Jones

    • Origin:

      English surname derived from John

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"

    • Description:

      This quintessentially common last name makes a distinctive if first, given to more than 230 babies in the US in the most recent year counted. It has doubled in use over the last decade.
  13. Josh

    • Description:

      Josh is a friendly, approachable masculine name that originated as a shortened form of Joshua, which comes from Hebrew meaning 'God is salvation.' While Joshua has biblical significance as the successor to Moses, Josh emerged as a standalone name in the 20th century, embodying a casual, down-to-earth quality. It gained significant popularity in the 1970s through the 1990s in the United States, ranking consistently in the top 100 names. Josh conveys an accessible, unpretentious character with its brief, one-syllable structure. The name suggests a straightforward, trustworthy personality and has maintained steady usage without seeming dated or trendy. Josh represents a perfect balance of familiarity and timelessness in contemporary naming practices.

  14. Joe

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Joseph

    • Meaning:

      "Jehovah increases"

    • Description:

      Joe is still the ultimate good-guy name, not at all diminished by its longevity or popularity or its everyman rep as Regular Joe, Cowboy Joe, G.I. Joe, Joe Exotic, Joe Blow, Joe Millionaire, Average Joe — and now President Joe (Biden).
  15. Jericho

    • Origin:

      Biblical place-name

    • Description:

      A biblical place name with trumpeting verve and strength.
  16. Jimmy

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of James

    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"

    • Description:

      Every other little kid's name in 1957 but few Jameses are called Jimmy today; they're more often James or Jamie.
  17. Jon

    • Origin:

      Variation of John or Jonathan

    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious; or gift of Jehovah"

    • Description:

      Streamlined version of the classic boys' names, sometimes a short form of Jonathan, which is in fact an entirely different name from John attached to a different Biblical personage. Jon feels more modern than the traditional John, but some may find it an overly slight variation on an already slim name. Jon Snow is a popular character on HBO's Game of Thrones.
  18. Jonty

    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Jonathan

    • Meaning:

      "gift of Jehovah"

    • Description:

      Jaunty, to say the least, Jonty might be an option if Johnny feels too old school. It has been noticed most often on the playing fields, as in U.K. rugby player Jonty Parkin (born Jonathan) and South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes (Jonathon).
  19. Judah

    • Origin:

      Hebrew

    • Meaning:

      "praised"

    • Description:

      Judah is the strong, resonant Old Testament name of the son of Jacob who was the ancestor of one of the tribes of Israel, and from whom the word Jew is derived. Some of the names' popularity might be attributable to the similarly named Jude Law.
  20. Jaime

    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of James

    • Description:

      A Hispanic classic that has lost some momentum in recent years. It could be misunderstood by some as Jamie -- which is how it's pronounced on Game of Thrones.

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