How to say it
JACK
dʒæk
Masculine
Jack
God is gracious
What it means
Originally a medieval English nickname for John, which traces back to the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning 'God is gracious.' Jack is a small Yochanan, lived hard for eight centuries.
Jack started as the everyday pet form of John in medieval England and became so widespread it shifted into a given name in its own right. In 18th-century England the word jack meant 'any common man' (a stranger was a 'jack'; sailors were collectively 'jack'). Folk tales gave us Jack the Giant Killer, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack Frost. The name has held the US top fifty for most of the past two decades. Modern parents often use Jack as the given name itself rather than as a nickname for John or Jackson.
How to spell Jack
The standard spelling is Jack. Common variants include Jak, Jacques, but Jack is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #11 in 2021, currently #15 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Jack started as a 13th-century short for John and became a standalone centuries ago. Today it's usually a given name, not a nickname for anything.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- John F. Kennedy 35th US president, known as Jack
- Jack Nicholson Three-time Oscar winner, The Shining and Chinatown
- Jack Reacher Lee Child's drifter-detective novel series
Spelling variants
- Jak
- Jacques
Names with the same feeling
See Jack from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Jack mean?
- Originally a medieval English nickname for John, which traces back to the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning 'God is gracious.' Jack is a small Yochanan, lived hard for eight centuries.
- What does Jack mean in English?
- In English, Jack means "God is gracious." Jack started as the everyday pet form of John in medieval England and became so widespread it shifted into a given name in its own right. In 18th-century England the word jack meant 'any common man' (a stranger was a 'jack'; sailors were collectively 'jack'). Folk tales gave us Jack the Giant Killer, Jack and the Beanstalk, Jack Frost. The name has held the US top fifty for most of the past two decades. Modern parents often use Jack as the given name itself rather than as a nickname for John or Jackson.
- Is Jack short for John?
- Yes. Jack is a short form of John, and it carries the same meaning, "God is gracious." These days many parents use Jack as a given name in its own right, not only as a nickname.
- How do you pronounce Jack?
- Jack is pronounced dʒæk. Say it as JACK, with the stress on the "jack" syllable.
- How do you spell Jack?
- The standard spelling is Jack. Common spelling variants include Jak, Jacques.
- Is Jack a boy or girl name?
- Jack is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Jack?
- Jack ranked #15 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.