Jack
Jack was the 15th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,748 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1927 (12,802). Over the last ten years it has moved up 25 places. More babies were named Jack in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Meaning Meaning disputed · English
Say it JAK /ˈdʒæk/
- Rank in 2025
- #15 boys, up 6 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 8,748boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 192712,802 babies
- Total since 1880
- 759,677babies recorded
What does the name Jack mean?
Jack began in Middle English as Jackin, a variant of Jankin, a pet form of John. Wikipedia also records a rival theory that it comes from French Jacques (James). Over the centuries 'jack' became a general word for an ordinary man. It is now a name in its own right and is also used as a short form of Jackson and Jacob.
Jackin (Middle English, “pet form”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Derivation from John (via Jankin) is the main view. Derivation from Jacques is an alternative recorded in Wikipedia, and Wiktionary's etymology template also points to Jacques.
See also: English names.
Nicknames for Jack
The usual nicknames for Jack are Jackie. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Jack in the last five years, fewer than 1 were named Jackie, against 2 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jackie · also for Jacqueline, Jaclyn | Traditional | #2,269 | 283 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Jacks go by each one.
Jack popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,734 since 1889, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #15 | 8,748 |
| 2020 | #21 | 8,945 |
| 2010 | #45 | 8,520 |
| 2000 | #46 | 8,125 |
| 1990 | #166 | 1,838 |
| 1980 | #158 | 1,627 |
| 1970 | #129 | 2,564 |
| 1960 | #85 | 4,918 |
| 1950 | #48 | 6,840 |
| 1940 | #29 | 7,048 |
| 1930 | #14 | 12,430 |
| 1920 | #20 | 9,599 |
| 1910 | #23 | 1,576 |
| 1900 | #27 | 1,053 |
| 1890 | #53 | 368 |
| 1880 | #77 | 204 |
How popular is Jack, counting every spelling?
Jack is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #17 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #15 for Jack on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,785 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack | 8,748 | #15 | 44,439 |
| Jak | 22 | #4,604 | 130 |
| Jac | 15 | #5,967 | 61 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Jack?
8,748 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jack (2.43 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jack born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 22. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, a typical elementary school of 430 pupils would have about 1.0 children named Jack.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jack?
About 412,400 people born in the US named Jack are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 12 and 61. That makes Jack mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jack by state
How common Jack was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Vermont (3.2×), New Hampshire (2.8×), Wyoming (2.5×), Maine (2.3×), Massachusetts (2.2×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Mexico, Texas, California.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jack: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jack, they share its era and feel.
Jack is also a nickname for Jackson and John.
Questions about the name Jack
What does Jack mean?
The meaning of Jack is disputed: Derivation from John (via Jankin) is the main view. Derivation from Jacques is an alternative recorded in Wikipedia, and Wiktionary's etymology template also points to Jacques.
How popular is the name Jack?
Jack was the 15th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 8,748 babies. Its best year was 2021, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1927 (12,802). Over the last ten years it has moved up 25 places. More babies were named Jack in the 1920s than in any other decade.
Is Jack a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jack in the US.
Where is Jack most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jack was most common in Vermont (16.24 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Hampshire and Wyoming.