J names for girls

Jaime

Spanish variation of James

Though every Spanish student knows that the male classic is pronounced HY-me, for girls this is a straight homonym for Jamie, a favorite ambisexual 1970s nickname name. Another way to think of it is…

Jalila

Arabic

"illustrious"

The two l's in this Arabic name give it a particularly rich rhythmic quality.

Jamaica

Native American place name

"rich in springs"

Among the least gimmicky, most appealing and colorful of all the names found in the atlas, Jamaica almost sings out the rhythms of the West Indies. Part of the Greater Antilles in the Caribbean,…

Jamese

Jamese is a feminine name that appears to be a creative variation of James, a classic Hebrew name meaning 'supplanter' or 'one who follows.' By adding the feminine suffix '-e,' this adaptation…

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.

Janet

Diminutive of Jane

"God is gracious"

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…

Janeth

Janeth is a feminine name derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning 'God is gracious.' It represents a distinctive spelling variant of Janet, which itself originated as a diminutive of Jane.…

January

English month name from Latin

"doorway"

Thanks to two cultural influences, January has joined March, April, June and August as a plausible month name. The first was a character named January Wayne in a bestselling 1973 Jacqueline Susann…

Java

Anglicization of Indonesian Jawa; place name

A name with something for everyone: for romantics, it's a beautiful Indonesian island; for teckies, it's a computer programming language.

Jean

English and Scottish, from French variation of Johanna

"God is gracious"

Originally a feminine of John, Jean was popular in Scotland long before it found favor elsewhere, and had its most shining moment here in the era of Jean Harlow (born Harlean), ultimate symbol of…

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…

Jerica

Jerica is a feminine name that serves as a variant of Jericha or a feminine form of Jeric, ultimately connected to the biblical city of Jericho. The name has Hebrew origins, loosely associated with…

Jessamine

English from Persian

"jasmine"

Jessamine, a charming name occasionally heard in England, is just beginning to be appreciated in the U.S. as a possible successor to all the Jess names of the past. It's also spelled Jessamyn, as in…

Jethra

Feminization of Jethro, Hebrew

"excellence"

Rare and ethereal.

Jetta

English

"jet"

Although this is a legitimate name, most people would associate it with a line of Volkswagens -- you'd be better off choosing a Mercedes.

Jezebel

Hebrew

"not exalted"

Jezebel, the wife of King Ahab in the Hebrew Book of Kings, has long had a bad girl reputation. But in the modern secular world, this is somewhat mitigated by the feminist perspective of her as a…

Jill

Diminutive of Gillian or Juliana

"youthful"

Probably due to its nursery rhyme association, Jill has the perpetual air of a rosy-cheeked tot -- even though it is one of the oldest names on the roster, a medieval variation on the Roman Julia.…

Jin

Japanese or Chinese

"tenderness, gentleness; gold"

Similarity to the English name Jean could be a plus in a Japanese-American or Chinese-American family.

Jinx

Word name

"spell, curse, bringer of bad luck"

Jinx, a James Bond heroine name has an ominous meaning but kinetic energy. In the film "Die Another Day," the actual first name of the character played by Halle Berry is Giacinta. It could therefore…