Choosing a name for your baby can seem like a stressful chore. If you don’t know where to start, a great way to begin brainstorming is to choose a letter and think of names that begin with it. For instance, you might want your baby girl to share the same initials as someone in your family. If your name is Jan, you can get inspired by other names that start with J.
Names that begin with J often convey jubilance, joy, and jazziness. We did our very best to find the coolest, most unique names for girls along with some time-tested favorites. Here are 25 baby names for girls that start with J that you will absolutely jump for joy over.
25. Jael
Jael is a gender-neutral baby name that works splendidly for girls. It is a Biblical place name associated with northern Israel. The name is Hebrew for “mountain goat.”
24. Jada
Jada is the Spanish form of the popular name, Jade and it too refers to the green stone. Probably the most famous Jada is Jada Pinkett Smith who has propelled this name to popularity. In 2018, the name ranked as the 396th most popular name for girls.
23. Jamila
Jamila sounds similar to vanilla, but it’s anything but bland. Jamila is a name with Arabic origins and it means “graceful.” There are a few different ways to spell this name and Muhammad Ali chose Jamillah for one of his daughters.
22. Jewel
Your daughter is going to be so precious you might consider naming her after a gemstone. Jewel says it right there in the name! Thanks to the popularity of the singer of Jewel Kilcher over the last 20 odd years, the name had a comeback and now sits in the top 1000.
21. June
June is a summery name with vintage appeal. The name has Latin origins and comes from the goddess, Juno. If you want to get a little weird with it, you can choose the popular Scandinavian form of the name: Juni.
20. Jillian
Jillian is the phonetic spelling of Gillian. While Gillian is the original, the contemporary spelling with a J now enjoys more popularity. Jillian has English origins and means “youthful.”
19. Jade
Jade ranks just shy of the top 100 at 111. This charming name with Spanish origins translates to “stone of the side.” The name had fallen out of favor until Mick and Bianca Jagger gave the name to their daughter in 1971.
18. Joelle
Joelle has a wonderfully French sound to it. The name is the feminine form of Joel, a Hebrew name that means “Jehovah is God.” In the US, the name has risen and fallen a great deal over the past 100 years. It fell out of the top 1000 in the 1990s, but it’s come back once again and as of 2016, it ranked at number 697.
17. Jasmine
After the release of the Disney film, Aladdin, Jasmine shot up the ranking charts and enjoyed top 50 status for several years. Since 2009, the name began to decline in popularity, but it is still extremely popular. Jasmine has Persian origins and refers to the flower. The name also means “gift from God.”
16. Janae
Janae is an American invention that most likely is based on the names Jane and Guinevere. We love the meaning behind the name Guinevere, “white wave.”
15. Joana
Joana is a cute and modern take on the name Johanna. The name has both Greek and Hebrew origins and means “God is gracious.” You won’t find Joana on the top charts but you will see it spelled, Joanna, its most popular form in the US.
14. Justine
Justine is a French name for girls with Latin origins that means “righteous.” While the name has firmly been one of the most popular names in France for an extremely long time, it only enjoyed mass appeal in the US in the 1980s. This sleek name deserves some love.
13. Justice
Just one letter apart from Justine, Justice is a gender-neutral name that American parents love. Justice is a “word name” but we think it works especially well because it sounds similar to the Biblical name, Justus.
12. Jamie
Another name that works well for both boys and girls, Jamie is a form of the name James. James is an English derivation of the Hebrew name Jacob which means “supplanter.” Jamie is a casual, relaxed name that we love.
11. Jovena
Jovena is a Spanish baby name that comes from the name Jove. Jove is another name for Jupiter who was the father of the sky and king of gods in Roman mythology. Jovita and Jovie are two other forms of this name that sound great too.
10. Jaya
Jaya is an exciting Hindi-Sanskrit name that means “victory.” This winning name sounds similar to Maya, but with a bit more percussiveness to it. Laura Dern chose the name for her daughter after she was born in 2004.
9. Julie
A tried and true name for girls, Julie is the French form of the name Julia and it means “youthful.” Julie is way more fun than its longer cousins, Juliette or Juliana. Although the longer forms of the name rank higher, we know what nickname parents are using at home.
8. Josefina
Josefina is the Spanish form and female variation of Joseph which means “Jehovah increases.” Josefina Pla is one incredible example of someone who brought this name pride. Pla was a Spanish poet, playwright, art critic, and painter who lived and worked in Paraguay. Her heavily awarded works labored to defend human rights.
7. Juniper
The name Juniper is having a moment. Juniper entered the U.S. Top 1000 for the first time in 2011 and now ranks at number 281. Juniper has origins in Latin and means “young.” It also refers to a shrub. Juniper is a cute nature-inspired name. We are so happy it has made a comeback.
6. July
The month of July got its name from Roman general, Julius Caesar. Before the change of name, the month was called Quintilis, so thank you, Julius. July is a summery name that works just as well as June and is a happy, underutilized alternative to Julie.
5. Janis
The origin of the name Janis is unclear. It might another form of Jane which means “God is gracious.” Or, it potentially is a form of Janus. Janus was a Roman god of transition and new beginnings. Either way, it belonged to Janis Joplin, so that’s all that really matters.
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4. Joni
Another musical inspiration, Joni Mitchell has an excellent name. Joni is a form of Joan which also means “God is gracious.”
3. Juno
Juno made an appearance on the list earlier, but we thought it deserved some deserved attention on its own. Juno was the Roman goddess of the heavens. English actor Juno Temple is one famous example.
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2. Jenica
God has a lot of gifts to give because the name Jenica also means “God is gracious.” Jenica is the Romanian form of Jane and works like a cross between Jessica and Jennifer.
1. Joy
Joy is a blissful English name that came into being in the 17th century when Puritans had the idea of “being joyful in the Lord.” The name hit peak popularity in the 1970s, but it has remained in the top 500 names for girls for the decades that have followed.
We hope you enjoyed these 25 names for girls that start with J and they inspired you to find a jolly-good name.