Every Boy Name

Boy's name

Jack

Say it JAK 1 syllable

English · from John, “God is gracious”

Loved across three Canadian provinces, Ireland, Northern Ireland, and 4 more places. Common in England and Wales, the Netherlands, Sweden, and 4 more places. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 11 more places.

1 in 50 boys born in Ireland in 2025. Number 2 there.

Jack in every place

Rank, count and share in all 40 places: loved in 9, common in 7, rare in 14.
Jack in every place we hold figures for
Place Rankyear Boysshare 5 years earlier
British Isles
England and Wales24 (down)20251,5951 in 170102020
Scotland13 (down)20252001 in 9812020
Northern Ireland220251501 in 5522020
Ireland2 (down)20254751 in 5012020
North America
Ontario (province)5 (up)2024501about 1 in 12082019
Quebec (province)68 (up)2025101about 1 in 288762020
British Columbia (province)5 (up)2023152about 1 in 86152018
Nova Scotia (province)420253442020
Oceania
New South Wales (state)10 (down)202530872020
Victoria (state)8 (down)202530242020
Queensland (state)15 (down)202518532020
South Australia (state)10 (down)20257472020
New Zealand7 (down)202515622020
Western Europe
France711 (down)2025551 in 5,5036342020
Netherlands52 (down)2025244about 1 in 273362020
Central Europe
Austria436 (up)2025111 in 3,4614562020
Switzerland319 (down)2025241 in 1,5002792020
Berlin (city)316 (up)202310about 1 in 1,5513272018
Munich (city)Rare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
Cologne (city)Rare: below the complete list20233452018
Bonn (city)256 (up)20252about 1 in 1,5853812020
Leipzig (city)127 (up)20254about 1 in 7192172020
Rostock (city)69 (up)20253about 1 in 3491352020
Nordic countries
Norway417 (down)202561 in 3,8803782020
Sweden48 (down)2025230about 1 in 188372020
DenmarkNot in the published top 502025Not listed2020
FinlandNot in the published top 502025No list2020
IcelandNot in the published top 102025No list2020
Southern Europe
SpainNot in the published top 1002024Not listed2019
Catalonia (region)323 (up)2025111 in 1,8825092020
Italy1,372 (new in the list)202451 in 37,872Not listed2019
Central and Eastern Europe
Poland581 (down)202531 in 42,1354402020
HungaryNot in the published top 1002025Not listed2020
SloveniaRare: below the complete list2025Not listed2020
EstoniaNot in the published top 272025Not listed2020
Moscow (city)Not in the published top 612025Not listed2020
CroatiaNot in the published top 502025No list2020
Middle East
TurkeyNot in the published top 302025Not listed2020
IsraelRare: below the complete list2024Not listed2019
Latin America
ArgentinaNot in the published top 202024Not listed2019

Germany publishes no national list; the German rows are city registers. About: the publisher leaves out its smallest names, so the share is approximate. ▲ and ▼ compare the rank with five years earlier. Not listed five years earlier: not in that year’s list. No list: the place published no list that year. How these figures are computed.

About the name

Jack started life as a medieval pet form of John. It came into Middle English as Jakke from Anglo-Norman, and before that from a Middle Dutch diminutive of Jan. The meaning therefore comes from John, 'God is gracious'. It has long been used as a nickname for Jacob too, but today it is very much a name in its own right.

2 more paragraphs

A single crisp syllable, JAK, gives it a friendly, no-nonsense sound. Related names include John, Jan, Johan, Giovanni, Yann and Jock.

Jack is at its strongest in Ireland and Northern Ireland, where it ranks second, and it is a top-five name in Ontario. On the Continent it is much less common, placing further down the lists in Sweden and the Netherlands. Canadian records show it still close to its peak.

Meaning, origin and how to say it

Say it
JAK · 1 syllable
Meaning
from John, “God is gracious”
Origin
English
Related names
Jan, John, Johan, Johann, Giovanni, Jon, Janos, Gian, Ivano, Joan, Hannes, Ian, Gianni, Jacek, Ivan, Sean, Jak, Jakke, Ioannis, Yann, Ifan, Jock, Honza, Hanns, Ion, Jaan, João, Xoán
Where Jack comes from (Wiktionary)

From Middle English Jak, Jakke (also Jackin, Jankyn, etc.), from Anglo-Norman Jakke, *Janke, from Middle Dutch Janke, diminutive of Jan (“John”); equivalent to John + -kin. Doublet of Yankee. It can be also used as nickname for Jacob. Though the name was originally a pet form, it has become more of an independent name.

Shortened from the Wiktionary entry for Jack. Text available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Jack over time

Rising in 5 of the 23 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 4. Peak in Ontario and British Columbia: 2021.

Rank in England and Wales, 1996 to 2025

Jack in England and Wales: #1 in 1996, and #24 in 2025.

#1#10#50#100#300200020052010201520202025Top 101996: #1, 10,779 boys1997: #1, 10,145 boys1998: #1, 9,845 boys1999: #1, 9,785 boys2000: #1, 9,079 boys2001: #1, 9,000 boys2002: #1, 9,100 boys2003: #1, 9,037 boys2004: #1, 8,380 boys2005: #1, 7,434 boys2006: #1, 7,804 boys2007: #1, 7,606 boys2008: #1, 8,010 boys2009: #2, 7,090 boys2010: #2, 7,031 boys2011: #3, 6,844 boys2012: #3, 6,230 boys2013: #2, 6,212 boys2014: #2, 5,804 boys2015: #2, 5,371 boys2016: #4, 4,751 boys2017: #5, 4,190 boys2018: #5, 3,988 boys2019: #8, 3,381 boys2020: #10, 2,900 boys2021: #13, 2,847 boys2022: #14, 2,431 boys2023: #18, 1,953 boys2024: #22, 1,711 boys2025: #24, 1,595 boyspeak #1, 1996#24in 2025
Show the numbers
YearRankBoys
1996110,779
1997110,145
199819,845
199919,785
200019,079
200119,000
200219,100
200319,037
200418,380
200517,434
200617,804
200717,606
200818,010
200927,090
201027,031
201136,844
201236,230
201326,212
201425,804
201525,371
201644,751
201754,190
201853,988
201983,381
2020102,900
2021132,847
2022142,431
2023181,953
2024221,711
2025241,595

Source: Office for National Statistics (OGL v3)

The long view: in Ontario and British Columbia

Half of the boys named Jack in Ontario and British Columbia since 1925 were born in or after 2005. Peak: 2021, about 1,107 per 100,000 boys. Babies per 100,000 boys, five-year periods.

1925-1929: 819.2 per 100,000 boys1930-1934: 634.5 per 100,000 boys1935-1939: 479.4 per 100,000 boys1940-1944: 325 per 100,000 boys19401945-1949: 247.8 per 100,000 boys1950-1954: 221.6 per 100,000 boys1955-1959: 160.3 per 100,000 boys1960-1964: 113.2 per 100,000 boys19601965-1969: 92.1 per 100,000 boys1970-1974: 63.1 per 100,000 boys1975-1979: 57.3 per 100,000 boys1980-1984: 44 per 100,000 boys19801985-1989: 54.8 per 100,000 boys1990-1994: 106.5 per 100,000 boys1995-1999: 382.9 per 100,000 boys2000-2004: 705.6 per 100,000 boys20002005-2009: 963.8 per 100,000 boys2010-2014: 891.3 per 100,000 boys2015-2019: 896.9 per 100,000 boys2020-2024: 989.8 per 100,000 boys20202020-2024: about 1 in 101 boys
Show the numbers
YearsPer 100,000 boys
1925–1929819.2
1930–1934634.5
1935–1939479.4
1940–1944325
1945–1949247.8
1950–1954221.6
1955–1959160.3
1960–1964113.2
1965–196992.1
1970–197463.1
1975–197957.3
1980–198444
1985–198954.8
1990–1994106.5
1995–1999382.9
2000–2004705.6
2005–2009963.8
2010–2014891.3
2015–2019896.9
2020–2024989.8

Source: Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (OGL-Ontario); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (OGL-BC). Dark bar: the period holding the median birth year.

Brothers and middle names for Jack

Brother names

Names that rose and fell with Jack, from the same generation, with no clashing sounds.

  1. 1 in 67, Northern Ireland

  2. 1 in 418, Scotland

  3. 1 in 196, Scotland

  4. 1 in 83, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 136, Northern Ireland

  6. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  7. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 97, England and Wales

  9. 1 in 112, Northern Ireland

  10. 1 in 118, England and Wales

All 40 brother names for Jack

Middle names

Scored for rhythm against Jack's 1 syllable and for long, steady use.

  1. 1 in 86, England and Wales

  2. 1 in 187, England and Wales

  3. 1 in 103, England and Wales

  4. 1 in 118, England and Wales

  5. 1 in 105, Ireland

  6. 1 in 130, Scotland

  7. 1 in 67, England and Wales

  8. 1 in 62, Poland

Full-name check

Jack Oliver

Syllables 1-3Initials J.O.No sound clashes between the parts.

All 40 middle names for Jack

Sisters for Jack: Grace, Lily, Ruby, and 5 more
  1. GraceRose and fell with Jack · Same generation as Jack
  2. LilyRose and fell with Jack · Same generation as Jack
  3. RubyRose and fell with Jack · Same generation as Jack
  4. IvyRose and fell with Jack · English, like Jack
  5. HazelRose and fell with Jack · Same generation as Jack
  6. SiennaRose and fell with Jack · English, like Jack
  7. VioletRose and fell with Jack · Same generation as Jack
  8. WillowRose and fell with Jack · English, like Jack

Girls' names from the same engine, over the girls' lists of the same publishers.

Moved with Jack

The boy names whose popularity rose and fell most like Jack's across every region and decade we hold.

  1. Common across the UK, Sweden, Austria, and 10 more places.

  2. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 13 more places.

  3. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 13 more places.

  4. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 14 more places.

  5. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 16 more places.

  6. Common across France, England and Wales, three Canadian provinces, and 8 more places.

  7. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 20 more places.

  8. Rare in France, Italy, Poland, and 16 more places.

Famous people named Jack

Jack London, Jack Kerouac, and 6 more

From Wikidata, ranked by how many Wikipedia language editions have an article on them. People: Wikidata (CC0). Links go to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists, else English.

Questions about Jack

How popular is Jack in Northern Ireland?

Jack ranked #2 in Northern Ireland in 2025, given to 150 boys, about 1 in 55.

Is Jack rising in popularity?

In some places: it is rising in more of them than it is falling. Rising in 5 of the 23 regions we can compare over five years, falling in 4. Rising in: British Columbia, Catalonia, Rostock, Leipzig, and Austria.

What does Jack mean?

Jack comes from John, which means “God is gracious”, according to Wiktionary.

How many syllables does Jack have?

Jack has 1 syllable: JAK.

Every rank and count on this page comes from an official birth register. How these figures are computed.

Meanings, origins and people: Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikidata (CC0).

The 42 birth registers behind these figures

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Kept names collect here.

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