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`J´ Names That I Like - Girls & Boys

  1. 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.

  2. 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).
  3. Jordan
    • Origin:

      English from Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "flowing down"
    • Description:

      Originally used for children baptized in holy water from the river Jordan, it became one of the leading androgynous names of the nineties. As the balance tips toward the boys' side, it's slipping on the girls' popularity chart. Alternate spelling Jordyn is now more popular for girls.
  4. Jed
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Jedidiah, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "beloved of the Lord"
    • Description:

      Cowboyish short form that's both macho and cool. Got prime time exposure on The West Wing.
  5. 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.
  6. Jackie
    • Origin:

      English
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      Jackie Kennedy gave this name a lot of style, but it doesn't seem destined for a comeback the way brother name Jack has. Jackie and Jacqueline both peaked in 1961.
  7. 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.
  8. Janet
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Jane
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      Janet started as a pet form of Jane but has long been used independently. Jane is a feminine form of John, which derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan. Janet can also be considered a variation of Jeannette, a derivative of Joan and another feminization of the name John.
  9. Jaxon
    • Origin:

      Spelling variation of Jackson
    • Meaning:

      "son of Jack"
    • Description:

      Jaxon has been mostly climbing in popularity since it entered the Top 1000 in 1997, proving that many parents have decided to rev up the cool factor of Jackson by giving it this streamlined spelling. (Though we still prefer the original.)
  10. Joyce
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "merry, joyous"
    • Description:

      Joyce was once a boy name, but took off for girls during the mid-twentieth century, when it spent 1930 to 1947 in the Top 20.
  11. Johnny
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      The ultimate midcentury nickname, retaining a good measure of retro charm, was chosen for her son by Mira Sorvino.
  12. Jillian
    • Origin:

      Phonetic spelling of Gillian
    • Meaning:

      "youthful"
    • Description:

      This spelling of Jillian is now much more popular than the original, maybe because the G version invites pronunciation problems.
  13. Junior
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "young"
    • Description:

      The line should end with Junior Soprano. While most would expect this to be a nickname rather than an actual given name, Junior has always ranked in the US Top 1000, hitting its peak in 1925 at Number 116.
  14. Jenny
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Janet, Jane, Jean, and Jennifer
    • Description:

      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, which has been somewhat replaced by Jenna, has faded as well.
  15. Jessie
    • Origin:

      Anglicized form of Teasagh or diminutive of Jessica, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "behold or wealthy"
    • Description:

      Jessie has never been used as much as Jennie/Jenny, partly because it's a boys’ name as well (spelled Jesse), but it does have a friendly and unpretentious pioneer feel. In Scotland, it's found as an Anglicized form of Teasagh, itself a form of Jean, and is used as a full name. And in the rest of the world, Jessie may be short for Jessica or used on its own.
  16. January
    • Origin:

      English month name from Latin
    • Meaning:

      "doorway"
    • Description:

      Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name.
  17. Jen
    • Description:

      Jen is a short, crisp feminine name that originated primarily as a diminutive of Jennifer, though it can also be a nickname for names like Jenna, Jenny, or Genevieve. The root name Jennifer comes from the Welsh 'Gwenhwyfar,' meaning 'white wave' or 'fair spirit.' Jen gained independent usage during the 1970s and 1980s when Jennifer was at peak popularity, with some parents choosing to put just 'Jen' on the birth certificate. Its simplicity and directness appeal to those preferring unpretentious, straightforward names. While Jen's popularity as a stand-alone name has declined since the 1990s, it maintains appeal for its brevity and friendly, approachable quality. The name carries a casual confidence and remains recognizable without being overly common as a formal name.
  18. Jolie
    • Origin:

      French
    • Meaning:

      "pretty"
    • Description:

      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.
  19. Joah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Yahweh is his brother"
    • Description:

      A simple and streamlined Biblical name, Joah borne by several figures in the Old Testament. Meaning "Yahweh is his brother" or "brother of God", it could be an unexpected way to honor a family Joe or an alternative to the popular Noah, Josiah, and Jonah.
  20. Justice
    • Origin:

      English word name
    • Meaning:

      "the quality of being just, impartial, or fair"
    • Description:

      Justice, one of the rare virtue names for boys, entered the popularity ranks in 1992, and remained in the charts until the 2020s. While it has fallen out of favor in more recent years, it remains a fresh but solid feeling option.

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