Girls Names Beginning With J

Josephine

French feminine variation of Joseph, Hebrew

"Jehovah increases"

Josephine, with its large measure of class and character and a gently offbeat quality, has been on a gentle uphill climb in the US for over 30 years, now ranking in the Top 100. With an intriguing…

Josie

English, diminutive of Josephine, feminine of Joseph, Hebrew

"Jehovah increases"

Josie is jaunty and friendly: among the most winning of all nickname names. She's been on the Social Security list since records began being kept. Josie and the Pussycats , revolving around an…

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,…

June

Latin

"young"

June, a sweetly old-fashioned month name derived from the goddess Juno, was long locked in a time capsule with June Allyson (born Ella) and June Cleaver, but is rising again especially as a middle…

Jane

English

"God is gracious"

Simple, classic, strong, and versatile, Jane has shrugged off her plain associations to become a short, punchy name with plenty of literary significance. Calling to mind Jane Austen and Jane Eyre ,…

Journee

Spelling variation of Journey, English word name

"travel or passage from one place to another"

With Journey becoming increasingly popular, it's no surprise that this alternative spelling is not far behind. However, you may be surprised to learn that in recent years, the Journee spelling has…

Juliet

English from Latin

"youthful or sky father"

One of the most romantic names, the lovely and stylish Juliet seems finally to have shaken off her limiting link to Romeo. In Shakespeare's play, it was Juliet who said "What's in a name?" Juliet…

Joanna

Variation of Johanna

"God is gracious"

Joanna derives from the Greek name Ioanna, which in turn came from the Hebrew name Yohannah. It is featured in the New Testament as a woman who accompanied Jesus on his travels and eventually reached…

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,…

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.

Jordan

English from Hebrew

"flowing down"

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…

Jennifer

Cornish variation of Guinevere, Welsh

"white shadow, white wave"

Jennifer is the Cornish variation of Guinevere, which ultimately derived from the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar. As such, it is connected to the queen of Arthurian legend, and sharees the same meaning of…

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…

Jenna

English, diminutive of Jennifer

"white shadow, white wave"

Jenna was first noted on the 1980s TV series Dallas , later associated with one of the First Twin Daughters. Jenna is still being used, but no longer feels much fresher than Jennifer. You can also…

Judith

Hebrew

"He will be praised or woman from Judea"

The biblical Judith, the fourth most popular name in 1940, may be getting ready for a comeback in its full, elegant, if somewhat solemn form. Many of those earlier Judiths were called Judy—some after…

Johanna

Hebrew

"God is gracious"

Johanna is the version of this name used in Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia. The extra h makes Johanna a slightly more dignified version of Joanna. A notable namesake is the author of Heidi ,…

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…

Junie

Diminutive of June

A cute nickname, but June is a much better bet for the birth certificate.

Josephina

Josephina is a feminine form of Joseph, ultimately derived from the Hebrew name Yosef, meaning 'God will add' or 'God will increase.' This elegant variation combines the biblical gravitas of Joseph…