Boy · Hebrew, with Middle English pet form
Jack
Say it: JAK
Meaning
A medieval English pet form of John, through Jankin; the idea that it comes from French Jacques is a common misconception.
Likelythe main view, with some doubt.
So common in medieval England that it became a word for any man, as in jack-of-all-trades.
Its wave through time
A revival, back after decades away
In the United States
- 715,026 babies given this name since 1880
- At its height in 1930, about 1 in 88 boys
- 8,890 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Jakke, Jankin
Famous bearers
- Jack Cade, leader of the 1450 rebellion
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- English poll taxes and lay subsidy rolls (13th and 14th centuries)
- Well-known works of literature
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.