boy's name
Jake
JAYK (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 221,543
the United States
#457
2025 births
Jake is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter," a short form of Jacob that became a name in its own right. It ranks 86th in Northern Ireland and is falling from a peak in 2004.
- Jake is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2004, when 4,487 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 4,861 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jake Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 972 |
| 1890s | 892 |
| 1900s | 989 |
| 1910s | 2,680 |
| 1920s | 3,022 |
| 1930s | 1,943 |
| 1940s | 1,800 |
| 1950s | 1,613 |
| 1960s | 1,387 |
| 1970s | 3,373 |
| 1980s | 11,325 |
| 1990s | 33,203 |
| 2000s | 39,907 |
| 2010s | 21,426 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 5,007 |
What Jake Means
Jake inherits Jacob's meaning: supplanter, or holder of the heel. Genesis gives both readings in the text, where the newborn Jacob grips his twin brother's heel and later takes the birthright that was Esau's.
Where Jake Comes From
Jake is a medieval English short form of Jacob, from the Hebrew Ya'aqov, and the two senses come straight from Genesis — aqev is a heel, and the narrative supplies the supplanting. Jake and Jack were both current in medieval England and were often confused, though they have different sources: Jack descends from Jankin, a diminutive of John. That confusion has never fully cleared, and reference works still occasionally file Jake under John. Jake faded for several centuries and returned in the late twentieth century as part of the general move toward short forms as full names, arriving alongside Ben, Sam and Charlie. Its American associations run through Westerns and the rural South, which is roughly the opposite of the character it carries in Britain and Ireland.
Jake in Use
Jake ranks 86th in Northern Ireland with 28 births in 2024, 96th in Ireland and 235th in England and Wales, and it holds 457th in the United States with 682 births. It is falling everywhere from a peak in 2004. It is on record from 1880, though the modern volume is entirely from the revival rather than continuous use.
How Popular Is Jake?
In 2025, Jake was given to 682 babies in the United States, ranking #457 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Jake Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Jake
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Jake Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jake over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Jake
- English JAYK /dʒeɪk/
Jake 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.
Sibling Names for Jake
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Jake — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Jake
What does the name Jake mean?
Jake means "supplanter," or holder of the heel, inherited from Jacob.
Is Jake short for Jacob or Jack?
Jacob. Jack is a separate name descending from Jankin, a diminutive of John, though the two have been confused since medieval times.
Is Jake a modern name?
The current use is modern, but Jake was already a short form of Jacob in medieval England before it faded.
How popular is Jake?
Eighty-sixth in Northern Ireland and 457th in the United States.
Is Jake a girl's or a boy's name?
Jake is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jake?
Jake has 1 syllable.
Is Jake a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jake currently ranks #86 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.