By Brynn McKeon · Updated September 2026
Across 5 pages
of 5
Variation of Jacob, Hebrew
"supplanter"
Jacoby, a surname spin on Jacob shot up the charts in the middle of the 2000's, thanks largely to the popularity of Jacoby Ellsbury, the first Native American of Navajo descent in the Major Leagues,…
Portuguese variation of John
"God is gracious"
A Portuguese classic, typically spelled with a tilde over the A. Many members of the Portuguese royal family were named João, and today it’s associated with a number of Portuguese and Brazilian…
Diminutive of June
A cute nickname, but June is a much better bet for the birth certificate.
Diminutive of Janet, Jane, Jean, and Jennifer
At the height of the Jennifer craze, many parents were cutting straight to the nickname and putting Jenny on the birth certificate. But now that Jennifer is the mom rather than the daughter, Jenny,…
Slavic variation of John Latin
"God is gracious; Jove-like, majestic"
Jovan, the name of the supreme Roman deity, seems more extraterrestrial now -- and it's also firmly attached to a perfume label. Some parents may see it as a variation of Giovanni, the Italian for…
English
Iconic folk singer Joni Mitchell lends this vintage nickname a cool, bohemian feel, while the streamlined spelling feels more contemporary and confident than the sweeter, cosier Joanie. While it may…
Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese, Swedish feminine form of Joseph, Hebrew
"Jehovah increases"
Sweet and bright international form of Josephine, used in many European countries with various pronunciations of the initial J. A notable bearer is Josefina "Joey" Guerrero, a Filipina spy during…
Word name
Journey is one of the hot new spiritual names . Although Journey was given in 2015 to over 1100 baby girls and fewer than 100 baby boys, it's more visible on the celebrity baby scene as a boys' name:…
Latin
"godfather"
Jupiter may be known as the father of all the gods, but it's baby girls who have claimed his name for their own. Mythological and celestial baby names are hot across the board, so Jupiter was bound…
Scandinavian
"June"
Juni is the Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, and Finnish form of the month name June. While Juni feels cute and fresh, most Americans would assume it was a nickname or a Joni variation. We prefer Juna or…
Variation of Jane
For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.
English place name
"Geirr's island"
The New Jersey cities of Camden and Trenton are in, but the name of the state has not caught on to anywhere near the same extent, possibly due to its association with knitted pullovers and reality…
Jupiter's partner Juno has entered the mainstream, so it's possible that her divine mate could follow. But not necessarily for boys — Jupiter is currently mostly female in the US, thanks to its…
French or German surname
"throw away; foundling; jet"
Jeter, which of course is used as a first name only because of Yankee star Derek, rhymes with Peter and may be derived from the French surname Jette, which was often bestowed on foundlings because it…
Jazz as a full name is used slightly more often for boys than girls and has a distinctive, well, jazzy feel. Jazz is also occasionally used as a nickname for Jasper, much more often for Jasmine or…
Diminutive of Jeffrey, Jefferson
"pledge of peace"
The ultimate dad name.
Persian
"bringer of treasure"
The ancient boys' name Jasper is popular internationally in a range of forms, including Casper and Gaspard, and now Jasper is beginning to be used for girls in the US.
Cornish variant of George, or diminutive of Jordan
A rarely-used name even in its native Cornwall, Jory nevertheless feels very wearable, thanks to its similarity to familiar picks like Rory, Corey and Joey. Jory Cassel is a minor character in the…
Arabic
"silver pearl"
Rare and rhythmic.
Diminutive of Jordan
"flowing down"
A cutesy short form of Jordan that's never been overly popular. Like Jordan, Jordy would work equally well for a girl or boy.
