Boy Names Starting with J

Boy names that start with the letter J have led the US popular baby names list since naming records began in 1880.

The classic James is currently the top J name for boys in the US and also heads up the list of all-time most popular boys’ names. Another J name, Jacob, held the Number 1 spot in the US for the first decade of this century.

Along with James and Jacob, J names for boys in the current US Top 50 include Jackson, Joseph, John, Jack, Jayden, Julian, Jaxon, and Joshua. The favorite J name for boys among Nameberry visitors is Jasper.

Internationally, Jules is the top J name for boys in France, Jesse reigns in The Netherlands, and Javier is the most popular J boy name in Spain.

Two of the most classic J names for boys, James and John, head up the list of the most popular baby names for boys born in the 20th century, and no fewer than nine more — from Jeffrey to Justin to Jacob — join them in the all-time Top 50.

The J initial is also a great place to start if you’re looking for a unique baby boy name, such as Jupiter or Jericho, Justus or Journey.

Browse below for our full list of boy names starting with leading letter J. The top names below rank among the current US Top 1000 Baby Names and are ordered by popularity. Unique names rank below the Top 1000 and are listed alphabetically.

• James

  James is an English derivation of the Hebrew name Jacob. James is biblical (the name of two apostles in the New Testament), royal (kings of both England and Scotland), presidential (with more U.S.... Read More 

• Jacob

  Jacob comes from the Latin name Iacobus, which was ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Ya’aqov. In the Old Testament, Jacob was one of the most important patriarchs of the tribes of Israel. He... Read More 

• Jackson

  Cool name Jackson is one of the celebrisphere's top favorite boy names, having been chosen by, among others, Spike Lee, Poppy Montgomery, Carson... Read More 

• Joseph

  Joseph evolved from the Hebrew name Yosef, which was derived from the verb yasaf, meaning “to increase.” In the Old Testament, Joseph is the 11th and favorite son of Jacob and Rachel; in... Read More 

• John

  John is an English derivative of the Hebrew name Yochanan via the Latin name Iohannes, itself coming from the Greek Ioannes. John was a key name in early Christianity, borne by John the Baptist,... Read More 

• Jack

  Jack is a derivative of John that originated in medieval England. The name went from John to Johnkin to Jankin to Jackin to Jack. The name was so common in the Middle Ages that Jack became a... Read More 

• Jayden

  Although there is a genuine Biblical personage named Jadon—in the Old Testament, he helped rebuild the walls of Jerusalem—this version of the name can also be considered a modern invention. Jayden... Read More 

• Julian

  Julian was derived from Iulianus, which in turn came from Julius, the Roman family name from ioulos, a Greek term meaning “downy-bearded.” Julian was a 4th century Roman emperor, and St.... Read More 

• Jaxon

  Jaxon has been mostly climbing in popularity since it entered the Top 1000 in 1997, proving the point that many parents have decided to rev up the cool factor of Jackson and give it this... Read More 

• Joshua

  Joshua was derived from the Hebrew name Yehoshu’a, from the roots yeho, referring to God, and yasha’, meaning “to save.” Joshua shares origins with the name Jesus, which comes... Read More