Find out how popular the first name Jack has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Jack by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Jack is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Jack being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 8,683 male babies and 13 female babies born with the name Jack.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 13 baby girls were named Jack in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Jack

The name Jack is derived from the Hebrew name Yaakov, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows". The name was brought to Britain by the Normans after their conquest in 1066 and the Old French diminutive "Jacquet" evolved into the modern Jack. The name became extremely popular in medieval England, particularly after the Norman invasion.

In ancient texts, Jacob is featured prominently in the Book of Genesis as one of the patriarchs of the Israelites, and the son of Isaac and Rebecca. His name was changed to Israel by God after he wrestled with an angel. The name Jack is derived from this biblical name.

One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Jack is in the medieval mystery plays and folk tales featuring a character named Jack, such as "Jack and the Beanstalk" and "Jack the Giant Killer". These stories likely originated in the 16th century and helped popularize the name.

Famous historical figures named Jack include Jack Cade (1420-1450), an English rebel leader during the Hundred Years' War, and Jack Sheppard (1702-1724), a notorious English burglar and escape artist. Jack Churchill (1906-1996) was a British army officer who fought in World War II and was known for carrying a sword and bagpipes into battle.

In literature, Jack Worthing is a central character in Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest" (1895), and Jack London (1876-1916) was an American author known for novels such as "The Call of the Wild" and "White Fang". Jack Nicholson (born 1937) is an acclaimed American actor who has starred in films like "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" and "The Shining".

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Jack was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jack, please contact us.

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