girl's name
Jade
JAYD
- Origin Spanish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (France)
- Births on record 266,233
the United States
#95
2025 births
Jade is a girl's name from the gemstone, and its origin is unexpectedly medical: the Spanish called it piedra de la ijada, "stone of the flank," because it was believed to cure kidney and abdominal ailments.
- Jade is a name of Spanish origin.
- Peaked in France in 2009, when 5,505 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 202 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1962.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jade over time
Births per decade in France, 1960s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1960s | 15 |
| 1970s | 95 |
| 1980s | 1,005 |
| 1990s | 7,655 |
| 2000s | 39,010 |
| 2010s | 42,875 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 19,955 |
What Jade means
Jade names the green ornamental stone. The word derives from a phrase meaning stone of the flank, referring to the belief that wearing it relieved kidney pain — the same belief behind the mineral name nephrite, from the Greek for kidney.
Where Jade comes from
Jade comes through French from the Spanish piedra de la ijada, stone of the flank or loin, recorded after Spanish contact with Mesoamerica, where jade was worked and revered. The stone was thought to cure renal disorders when held against the side, and the Latin translation lapis nephriticus gave the mineral name nephrite, from the Greek nephros, kidney. Jade is in fact two distinct minerals, nephrite and jadeite, distinguished only in the nineteenth century. It has been prized in China for millennia, valued above gold. As a given name Jade belongs to the twentieth-century fashion for gemstone names and rose sharply from the 1970s.
Jade in use
Jade and nephrite are named from the same medical belief in two languages — Spanish for the flank, Greek for the kidney.
How popular is Jade?
In 2025, Jade was given to 2,925 babies in France, ranking #2 that year. It is one of the most popular names in France.
Where Jade is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
How Jade is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Jâde | Jâde is a rare spelling of Jade, written with a circumflex and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Jade
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Jade also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jade over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Jade in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Dutch
- Jada
Sibling names for Jade
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Jade — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Jade
What does the name Jade mean?
Jade names the green gemstone, from a Spanish phrase meaning "stone of the flank."
Why is jade called that?
Because it was believed to cure kidney ailments when held against the side.
Is jade one stone?
No — jade covers two distinct minerals, nephrite and jadeite, separated only in the nineteenth century.
How popular is the name Jade?
In 2025, Jade was given to 2,925 babies in France, ranking #2 that year. It is one of the most popular names in France.
Is Jade a girl's or a boy's name?
Jade is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jade?
Jade has 1 syllable.
When was Jade most popular?
Jade peaked in 2009, when 5,505 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is Jade a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jade currently ranks #2 in France. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.