Jaks
Short form of the masculine name Jacob, a Hebrew name meaning "supplanter".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Jaks. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jaks today is around 12 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jaks births was 2014 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jaks. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Jaks with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jaks. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
2014
5 babies that year
Average age
12
years old
2014 SSA rank
#12,856
Tracked since 2014
Popularity
Jaks: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jaks by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jaks during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jaks
The name Jaks has its roots in the ancient Sanskrit language, which originated in the Indian subcontinent around the 2nd millennium BCE. It is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "jaksha," which means "spirit" or "attendant of a deity." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with spiritual or religious connotations.
In ancient Hindu texts, such as the Puranas and the Mahabharata, there are references to beings called "yakshas," which were nature spirits or deities who were believed to guard treasures and natural resources. It is possible that the name Jaks was originally given to individuals who were believed to have a connection with these spiritual entities or who held positions of guardianship or protection.
The earliest recorded use of the name Jaks can be traced back to the 6th century CE, when it appeared in inscriptions found in the Gupta Empire, which ruled over a significant portion of the Indian subcontinent during that period. One notable figure from this time was Jaks Vihar, a renowned scholar and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of Indian philosophy and logic.
In the 11th century, a powerful ruler named Jaks Singh founded the Jaks Dynasty, which ruled over parts of present-day Rajasthan and Gujarat in western India. This dynasty played a pivotal role in the region's history and left behind a rich cultural and architectural legacy.
During the Mughal Empire, which ruled over large parts of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th centuries, the name Jaks gained popularity among the ruling elite. One notable individual from this period was Jaks Khan, a renowned military commander who served under the Mughal Emperor Akbar and played a significant role in the empire's expansion.
Another important figure in Indian history was Jaks Narayan, a social reformer and political leader who played a crucial role in the Indian independence movement in the early 20th century. He was a proponent of non-violent civil disobedience and worked alongside Mahatma Gandhi to achieve India's freedom from British rule.
In the realm of literature, Jaks Prashad, a prominent Hindi poet and writer from the 19th century, made significant contributions to the development of modern Hindi literature. His works explored themes of social justice, nationalism, and cultural identity.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Jaks, which has its roots in the ancient Sanskrit language and has been associated with various cultural, religious, and historical contexts over the centuries.
People
Jaks + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jaks as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jaks: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jaks?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jaks going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Jaks a common name?
We classify Jaks as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jaks most popular?
The single biggest year for Jaks was 2014, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jaks is about 12 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jaks in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jaks a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jaks in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jaks still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jaks in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jaks can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have the name Jaks?
If you just want to know how many Americans are named Jaks, HowManyOfMe.org gives you the headline number in one glance.