Best J Names for Girls
Although J is the most popular initial for boys, girl names that start with J are less common than you might think. There are only two in the US Top 100 — Josephine at Number 72, and Jade at Number 91 — so J names really stand out from the A’s and E’s that dominate the top of the charts.
Girl names beginning with J include classics like Julia and Jane, popular botanicals like Juniper and Jasmine, and rising modern favorites like Jovie and Jericho. Here we highlight some of the best J names for girls today.
Jaya
This light, breezy Indian name is the female version of Jai, meaning “victory”. Like Maya and Raya, its simplicity gives it great potential to cross cultures and languages — but unlike them it is relatively rare, given to under 100 baby girls in 2021.
Jaylani
Hawaiian-esque names ending in -lani are becoming more popular each year, and this is the top choice beginning with J. With its lilting sound and modern style, Jaylani is appealing in itself, but could also honor someone with a J name.
Jericho
This unisex place name is a perfect example of the modern Christian baby names that many parents favor over traditional bible and virtue names. Recalling the biblical battle of Jericho, it strikes a triumphant, celebratory note — and has the -o ending that’s cool for boys, and even more so on a girl.
Jessamine
A little-known English version of Jasmine, with the same flowery vintage charm of names like Emmeline and Clementine. Jessamine offers a novel twist on dated Jessica, and many possible nicknames such as Jem, Minnie, and Mina.
Jett
Part-gemstone, part-aeroplane, Jett is rising fast for boys, but we love it for girls too. This spelling recalls rock’n’roll legend Joan Jett… or you could try another music-inspired J name like Joni or Joplin.
Top J Names for Girls in the US
Jianna
Gianna soared into the Top 20 girl names in 2020, after the death of Kobe and Gianna Bryant, and hot on its heels, the J spelling entered the Top 1000. Although Jianna isn’t authentically Italian, it makes it more obvious that it’s related to Joanna — and it could honor one. We can see this variation rising higher still.
Joan
Believe it or not, this former Top 10 name — not to mention one of the most popular female names for hundreds of years — has been given to more boys than girls in recent years. (It’s a Catalan version of John.) But we think that’s about to change. The number of baby girl Joans, although not huge, has more than doubled in the last decade, so this strong, glamorous classic could be on the brink of a comeback.
Journey
Megan Fox gave this name to her son in 2016, but it’s as a girl name that Journey has really taken off. Whether it refers to a literal journey or a symbolic one, whether it has spiritual or secular meaning, it’s a perfect example of the uplifting word names that are popular today. The spellings Journey, Journee, and Journi all rank among the US Top 1000 girl names.
Jovie
This jolly, festive name — Zooey Deschanel’s character in the movie Elf — has been a surprise hit in recent years, entering the Top 1000 in 2020.
Joy
An oldie but goldie. Joy is not as popular as it was fifty years ago, but it’s not dated either. It’s a popular one-syllable middle names, but is sometimes overlooked as a first name. It’s worth a second glance: the world can always use more joy.
Unique Girl Names That Start with J
Jude
Judith and Judy are grandma names, but streamlined, androgynous Jude is perfect for a girl born today. It’s one of the grandpa names for girls that we predict will be a hot trend of 2023.
Juliet
Whether you prefer Juliet’s sweet simplicity, or the French elegance of Juliette, this romantic classic feels more current than Julie, and warmer than Julia. It’s one of several dramatic heroine names, like Ophelia and Guinevere, that are rising in popularity now.
Juniper
Ten years ago, this botanical name was a rarity, only just in the Top 1000. Now it’s the fifth most popular J names for girls. By good luck, Juniper combines several attractive traits: the “June” sound is stylish (June itself is rising steadily), it’s a quirky nature name, and it sounds like a fresh take on dated Jennifer. Juniper is in the Top 100 most popular names on Nameberry, a sure sign that it will keep on rising.
Juno
Another “June” sound, a mythical namesake, an unusual “O” ending: Juno ticks all the boxes for a cool, offbeat girl name. As well as the Roman queen of the gods, it may remind you of Elliot Page’s lovable character in the teen movie Juno, or the NASA space probe orbiting Jupiter.
Jupiter
Juniper may be the new Jennifer, but Jupiter looks set to be the new Juniper. (Hard to keep up with, we know!) The sharp rise of this mythology name for girls is one of the biggest surprises in recent baby name history, but we’re here for it. Now that Ashley Tisdale and Ed Sheeran have used it for their daughters, making more parents aware that it’s an option, it’s likely to climb even higher.
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