boy's name
Jax
JAKS (English)
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 3
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 34,012
the United States
#342
2025 births
Jax is a boy's name of modern coinage, a respelling of Jack or Jackson. Jack descends from John, meaning "God is gracious" — so the meaning arrives through two layers of nickname.
- Jax is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2015, when 1,903 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 3,404 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1995.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jax Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1990s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1990s | 249 |
| 2000s | 2,169 |
| 2010s | 15,454 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 7,437 |
What Jax Means
Jax carries Jackson's meaning, son of Jack, and Jack stands for John — God is gracious. On its own the spelling contributes nothing but sound.
Where Jax Comes From
Jax is a recent respelling of Jacks or Jackson. Jack came from John by way of the medieval Jankin, and became so common in medieval England that it turned into a word for an ordinary man — the source of jack in every sense from playing cards to lumberjack. The x-spelling belongs to a modern pattern that also produced Dax, Pax and Rylexx, and birth records show Jax absent from birth data until 1995. Its rise is often attributed to Sons of Anarchy, whose lead character is Jax Teller, from 2008.
Jax in Use
Records first show Jax in 1995 and shows it peaking in 2015 and still rising, at 146 in England and Wales. Its total absence before the 1990s marks it as a coinage rather than a revival — the same signature as Kayden, Brielle and Jayden.
How Popular Is Jax?
In 2025, Jax was given to 974 babies in the United States, ranking #342 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Jax 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 Jax
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Jax Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jax over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Jax
- English JAKS /dʒaks/
Jax 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 Jax
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Jax — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Jax
What does the name Jax mean?
It carries Jackson's meaning — son of Jack — and Jack stands for John, God is gracious.
Is Jax short for Jackson?
It began as a respelling of Jacks or Jackson, and is now registered as a name in its own right.
Is Jax a new name?
Yes. Birth records show it absent from birth data until 1995.
How popular is the name Jax?
In 2025, Jax was given to 974 babies in the United States, ranking #342 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Is Jax a girl's or a boy's name?
Jax is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jax?
Jax has 1 syllable.
When was Jax most popular?
Jax peaked in 2015, when 1,903 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
Is Jax a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jax currently ranks #94 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.