Fun Facts About the Name Jak
- 542 babies named Jak: U.S. records list 542 babies given the name Jak from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jak Mean?
Jak is chiefly a short form, and its meaning depends on which longer name it stands for. In English it is a respelling of Jack, a long-established nickname of John, which comes from Hebrew Yochanan and is usually translated "God is gracious." The same nickname was also linked to Old French Jacques (James, from Latin Iacobus, Greek Iakobos, Hebrew Ya'aqov), traditionally interpreted "supplanter" or "heel-holder." Because Jack stands at the meeting point of those two traditions, it is commonly glossed with either meaning.
In Dutch and other Germanic languages, Jak is instead a short form of Jakob (Jacob or James), where the customary meaning is "supplanter."
Jak Name History & Origins
The spelling Jak is a variant of Jack. Jack goes back to Middle English Jakke, a pet form of Jan or Jankin, the Middle English forms of John. John entered English through Old French Jehan from Latin Iohannes, Greek Ioannes, and Hebrew Yochanan. By the late Middle Ages, Jack had also become a generic word for a common man or a fellow - a sense preserved in compounds like "lumberjack" and in the tool called a jack - so the name long carried a familiar, everyday tone.
In the Low Countries and northern Germany, Jak is recorded as a short form of Jakob, the Dutch and German form of Jacob. That name rests on Latin Iacobus, the form used in the Vulgate for the biblical patriarch Jacob and for the apostle James, and it spread widely in Christian Europe in part through devotion to Saint James at Compostela.
In modern English, Jak is used as a given name in its own right, mostly as a respelling of Jack. It is also the name of the main character in the video-game series Jak and Daxter, which began in 2001; that is a well-known use of the name, not its origin.
How Popular is the Name Jak?
Jak has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2014. Its best rank was #3,258 in 2014.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #4,604 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2024 | #4,113 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 2023 | #4,520 | 23 | 0.0013% |
| 2022 | #4,031 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2021 | #3,530 | 32 | 0.0018% |
| 2020 | #5,336 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2019 | #3,842 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2018 | #4,284 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2017 | #4,267 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2016 | #4,845 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2015 | #3,466 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2014 | #3,258 | 34 | 0.0018% |
| 2013 | #4,698 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2012 | #4,188 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 2011 | #5,293 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2010 | #4,917 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2009 | #4,492 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 2008 | #3,377 | 33 | 0.0016% |
| 2007 | #5,091 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2006 | #4,944 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2005 | #6,380 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2004 | #5,943 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #6,928 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2002 | #8,846 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2000 | #7,754 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1997 | #8,602 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1994 | #8,183 | 6 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Jak Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Jak's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jak's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.