feminine names beginning with j

Jodie

Spelling variation of Jody

The Jodie spelling might be even more obscure, at this point, than the fading original, except actresses Jodie Foster and Jodie Sweetin have kept it in the public eye.

Janine

French variation of Jane

Has lost all trace of its French accent.

Juana

Spanish, feminine variation of Juan

"God is gracious"

Juana has not achieved the popularity in the U.S. of the male version Juan. Whereas Juan has made it almost to the Top 50 on the U. S. hit parade, sister Juana has barely entered the thousand most…

Juanita

Spanish, feminine variation of Juan

Pervasive in all Spanish-speaking cultures, Juanita, like Juana, has not emigrated.

Janice

Variation of Jane

"God is gracious"

For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.

Janis

Variation of Jane

Last moment of glory was in the Janis Joplin sixties.

Jacinta

Spanish for Greek flower name

"hyacinth"

Jacinta, the Spanish word for hyacinth, is a lot softer and sweeter than the English version. The correct Spanish pronunciation is ha-SEEN-ta, though many English speakers would say ja-SIN-ta.…

Jacintha

Jacintha is a feminine name with Greek origins, derived from the flower name hyacinth (Hyakinthos). In Greek mythology, Hyakinthos was a beautiful youth beloved by Apollo, transformed into the flower…

Jada

Spanish

"jade"

Long used in Spanish-speaking countries, this strong but feminine name was jump-started here by the rise of actress Jada Pinkett Smith. The Italian Giada is a popular variation. In the Bible, the…

Jayda

Variation of Jada

A Jada alternative that has lost ground this decade after peaking around 2010.

Jan

Feminine variation of John, Hebrew

"God is gracious"

Jan, not short for Janet or Janice but standing on its own, ranked in the Top 200 throughout the 1950s but dropped off the Top 1000 in the 1980s and now is a truly extinct name, given to fewer than…

Jana

International feminine variation of Jan

A sweet name with many cross-cultural ties: it's an equivalent of Jane in languages including Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German, Slovene, Catalan, Estonian, and Latvian.

Jemima

Hebrew

"dove; daytime"

Jemima, the name of a strong and beautiful Biblical daughter of Job, has long been among the chicest choices of aristocratic Brits, and has since shifted to be used more generally too, replacing…

Jem

Diminutive of Jemma or Jemima

"gem; dove"

There was an eighties cartoon queen named Jem (& The Holograms), and this is as likely to be a full name as a short form – deriving from Jemma, Jemima or Jameela.

Jorja

Modern American phonetic spelling of Georgia

This simplified form of the lovely name Georgia was spotlighted by the actress Jorja Fox, and seems to be making inroads; rocker Bret Michaels chose it for his daughter. Still, we'd opt for the…

Justine

French feminine variation of Justin

"fair, righteous"

Justine is a French name that's never reached the popularity we think it deserves. Like its far-more-common brother Justin, Justine is sleek, and sophisticated, but still user-friendly. Justine has…

Justina

Latin, feminine variation of Justin

Justina was the pre-Justine feminization of Justin, now a possible alternative to Christina. Oddly, while Justine feels like a name unto itself, Justina feels like a pinned-together feminization in…

Justice

English word name

"the quality of being just, impartial, or fair"

Justice is a fashionable word name, used for both girls and boys. Justice has the distinction of being a virtue name without the religious implications of Faith or Grace. It still feels more male…