Boys Names Beginning With J

James

English variation of Jacob, Hebrew

"supplanter"

James is one of the classic Anglo-Saxon names, a stalwart through the ages that is more popular—and yes, stylish—than ever today. It recently came out Number 1 in a poll of America's favorite boys'…

John

Hebrew

"God is gracious"

John reigned as the most popular of all boys' Christian names for 400 years, from the time the first Crusaders carried it back to Britain until the 1950s. Then American baby namers finally seemed to…

Jacob

Hebrew

"supplanter"

Biblical Jacob ceded his Number 1 spot to biblical Noah, in 2013, after holding first place on the list of baby boy names from 1999 to 2012, given a huge boost by the Twilight phenomenon. Jacob has…

Joshua

Hebrew

"the Lord is my salvation"

Joshua, a Top 10 name from 1983 until 2010, has dropped out of the Top 50 but manages to present a relaxed, attractive image, with a bit of the Old West mixed in with its biblical persona. Joshua was…

Jayden

Variation of Jaden or Jadon, modern invention, Hebrew

"thankful"

Reminiscent of 70’s favorite Jason, and sharing sounds with the perpetually popular James, Jayden is one of the more enduring members of the -ayden trend. Until the 90’s, Jayden was a mostly obscure…

Jonathan

Hebrew

"gift of Jehovah"

Jonathan was derived from the Hebrew name Yehonatan, eventually contracted to the modern Yonatan, meaning "gift of Jehovah." It comes from the elements yeho , in reference to God, and natan , meaning…

Jonah

Hebrew

"dove"

Jonah, the name of the Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by the whale, only to emerge unharmed three days later, is increasingly appreciated by parents looking for a biblical name less common…

Jasper

Persian

"bringer of treasure"

Jasper originated as a variation of the Latin Gaspar, which ultimately derived from the Persian word ganzabara , meaning "bringer of treasure." As a given name, Jasper’s etymology is unrelated to…

Jameson

English

"son of James"

This is a strong new James varietal, sometimes shared by girls. An original way to honor Grandpa Jim, Jameson is swiftly moving up the charts, entering the Top 100 for the first time ever in 2017.…

Jude

Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew, Arabic

"praised; to be generous, to be good to others"

Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity — but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", both responsible for…

Jason

Greek

"to heal"

Jason, the Number 3 name for the entire decade of the 1970s -- thus the title of our original baby-naming book, Beyond Jennifer & Jason -- is more likely to be dad's name now than baby's, but it's…

Jayce

Modern invented name

"to heal"

Jayce, which probably started out as an abbreviation of names like Jason, with the 'y' borrowed from Jayden, now has a life of its own, making a strong showing on the popularity lists. It is…

Justin

Latin

"fair, righteous"

Justin has been widely popular since the 1980s, when parents were seeking a fresher 'J' boys’ name to replace Jason, Jeremy and Jonathan. It's been dipping in popularity a bit in recent years but it…

Javier

Spanish variation of Xavier, Basque

"new house"

One of the most popular Spanish names for boys in the US, Javier is embodied for many Americans in the magnetic persona of Spanish-born Oscar-nominated actor Javier Bardem. While off its peak in the…

Jaylen

Modern invented name

More popular than the Jalen spelling. Like other names with many variants, when you count up all the alternatives, the name is much more popular than it first appears.

Jay

Latin

"jaybird"

Though this feels like a modern invention, Jay has been in use for centuries. Early Jays often were named in honor of founding father John Jay, whose surname derived from the jaybird. A popular…

Jonas

Greek variation of Jonah

"dove"

Jonas has a slightly more grandfatherly image than the English version of his name, but that only adds to its retro appeal. And though it may lag behind Jonah in this country, Jonas is riding a huge…

Jones

English surname derived from John

"God is gracious"

This quintessentially common last name makes a distinctive if first, given to more than 230 babies in the US in the most recent year counted. It has doubled in use over the last decade.

Justice

English word name

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

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…

Josh

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…