Jax
Jax was the 342nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 961 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 208th; the most babies were born in 2015 (1,865). Over the last ten years it has moved down 127 places. More babies were named Jax in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Jackson · American English, English
Say it JAKS /dʒæks/
- Rank in 2025
- #342 boys, down 96 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 961boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20151,865 babies
- Total since 1880
- 25,309babies recorded
What does the name Jax mean?
Jax is a modern American name. Wiktionary explains it as a shortening of Jackson or Jaxon, or as a playful spelling of the surname Jacks. Jackson itself is an English surname meaning "son of Jack", and Jack is a medieval pet form of John (Bardsley treats Jackson as a son-of-John name). John comes from Hebrew Yohanan, "God is gracious". Jax has no older history as a given name.
Jackson (English, “son of Jack (John)”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Jack, Jackson, Jaxon, Jaxson.
See also: American names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jax', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (1901), s.v. 'Jackson', Henry Frowde (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (usage history only), US Social Security Administration
Jax popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 224 since 2009, 13 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #342 | 961 |
| 2020 | #246 | 1,424 |
| 2010 | #348 | 882 |
| 2000 | #1,620 | 73 |
| 1990 | — | — |
| 1980 | — | — |
| 1970 | — | — |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Jax, counting every spelling?
Jax is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #303 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #342 for Jax on its own. Together these spellings went to 1,156 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jax | 961 | #342 | 5,944 |
| Jaxx | 195 | #1,102 | 1,113 |
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 Jax?
961 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jax (0.27 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jax born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 9 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jax.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jax?
About 24,900 people born in the US named Jax are alive today, with a median age of 10; half are between 6 and 13. That makes Jax a young name: most people with it are children.
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.
Jax by state
How common Jax was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in North Dakota (3.7×), South Dakota (3.4×), Idaho (2.6×), Utah (2.4×), Hawaii (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jax: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jax, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jax · Sibling names for Jax
Jax is also a nickname for Jackson and Jaxton.
Questions about the name Jax
What does Jax mean?
Jax means “short form of Jackson” (American English, English origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Jax?
Jax was the 342nd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 961 babies. Its best year was 2014, when it ranked 208th; the most babies were born in 2015 (1,865). Over the last ten years it has moved down 127 places. More babies were named Jax in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Jax a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jax in the US.
Where is Jax most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jax was most common in North Dakota (2.52 per 1,000 boys), followed by South Dakota and Idaho.