Unique Girl Names that Start With J

Juniper

Latin tree name

"young"

Juniper is a fresh-feeling nature name -- it's a small evergreen shrub -- with lots of energy. A new favorite of fashionable parents, Juniper joins such other tree and shrub names as Hazel, Acacia,…

Journey

English word name

"passage from one place to another"

One of the new word names, appealing to parents attracted to the idea of a spiritual -- or even an actual -- voyage. The Journee spelling is also being used. Unisex alert: Jenna Jameson used Journey…

Joy

English word name

"joy"

Joy is from an older generation of word names, which also included Merry, Bliss, and Glory -- all of which exert a certain amount of personality pressure on a child. However, Joy, like Grace, Hope,…

Jaylani

modern invented name

A recent addition to the name lexicon with some real potential.

Jream

Variation of Dream, English word name

Families with a J-initial sibset may opt to spell Dream this way. While Dream has been climbing up the charts since its entry in 2017 — attributed to the birth of a Kardashian baby by that name —…

Jovie

Modern invented

"jovial"

Jovie has a lively and cheerful sound and makes a fresh twist on old (and new) favorites like Jody, Josie, and Jolie. It could be considered a short form of Jovita, Jovena, and Jovana - all feminine…

Jayla

Modern spelling of Jaalah, Hebrew

"to ascend"

Not quite as unusual as it might seem, it first entered the popularity list in 1995, as a possible alternative to the very popular Kayla. In the Bible, an alternate spelling is Jaala.

Jazlyn

Modern invented name

"jazz by the lake; fower by the lake"

A modern invention that's been in use since the 80s and in the charts since the 90s, which combines the sounds of Jasmine (or Jasper or just the word jazz) with the popular suffix, -lyn . Inspiration…

Jimena

Variation of Ximena, Spanish

"hearing, listening; son"

A popular choice in Mexico, Spain, and Puerto Rico, Jimena has also appears in the Top 600 in the US. It was historically borne by Jimena Díaz, the wife of Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar (better known by the…

Jessica

Hebrew

"behold or wealthy"

When Jennifer finally gave up her Number 1 place on the girls' popularity list, her crown was passed to Jessica, who reigned for not one but two decades. Jessica was the Number 1 name in both the…

Jolene

Invented name

While for some, it may feel stuck in the shadow of the Dolly Parton song, Jolene re-entered the charts in 2010 and has seen increased use in recent years, ranking in the US Top 700 in the latest…

Janiyah

Modern invented name, variation of Jane

Janiyah’s star is definitely fading, but it will likely remain in the Top 1000 for years to come.

Janelle

American, modern elaboration of Jane

It's far cooler to drop the first syllable and go for Elle.

Jaliyah

Modern invented name, from Hebrew or Arabic

"God's ascent; lofty, exalted"

Jaliyah seems to be a variation of the popular Aliyah, which has both Hebrew and Arabic origins. From Hebrew, the name means "ascent" while the Ja- beginning often connotes God, so the meaning might…

Jianna

Variation of Gianna, Italian

"the Lord is gracious"

Jianna was one of the fastest-rising names of 2020 after the deaths of Kobe and Gianna Bryant. It continued to rise in 2021.

Jaslyn

American compound name, Jazz + Lynn

While contemporary, Jaslyn is a compound name with a kind of old school sound, ala Marilyn. It's a combination of musical word name Jazz or an abbreviated form of flower name Jasmine, plus Lynn,…

Jolie

French

"pretty"

Jolie is as pretty as its literal meaning; nowadays it is also seen as a girls’ name , via Angelina for whom Jolie was originally her middle name. Although it is French, Jolie is rarely if ever used…

Jovi

Variation of Jove

"father of the sky"

Joining Lennon and Bowie in the realm of gender-neutral, classic rock-inspired names that feel fashionable today is Jovi — as in Bon Jovi. Jovi is a variation of the Latin Jove — another name for the…

Jubilee

Hebrew

"ram's horn"

Jubilee has a joyous and jubilant aura, but it wouldn't be an easy name to carry, what with all that pressure to be a living, breathing, 24-7 party. Jubilee was the name selected by television's…

Jazlynn

Modern invented name

Less popular than spelling variation Jazlyn. The extra n does not make this name any better. Nonetheless, this spelling entered the US Top 1000 in 2007 and peaked at Number 573 in 2011.