Jack (given name)
Jack | |
---|---|
Pronunciation | dʒæk (jak) |
Gender | Male |
Origin | |
Word/name | Middle English, indirect diminutive of "John" |
Other names | |
Related names | John, Jacob, Jackie, James, Jackson, Johnny, Jacqueline, Jacques, Jake, Jay, Jaco, Jacobi |
Jack /ˈdʒæk/ is a male given name, although in some cases it can be used as a female given name (a shortened versioned of "Jacqueline" or "Jackie", for example),[1] and sometimes as a surname. In English it is traditionally used as the diminutive form of the given name John, though it is also often given as a proper name in its own right. It can also sometimes be a nickname for Jonathan, Jackson, James, Jason, or Jacob.
The name Jack is unusual in the English language for its frequency of use as a verb and a noun for many common objects and actions, and its use in many compound words and phrases, e.g.: apple jack, hijack, jack of clubs (playing card), jack straw (scarecrow), jack tar (sailor), jack-in-the-box, jack-of-all-trades, jack o'lantern, jackdaw, jackhammer, jackknife, jackpot, lumberjack, union jack, etc. The Encyclopædia Britannica article on the history of the word "jack" linked it directly to the common name: "Jack, a word with a great variety of meanings and applications, all traceable to the common use of the word as a by-name of a man." [2]
Origin
Jack is thought to hearken back to Medieval times as a common derivative of the name John. The nickname has also been seen as Jackie among men (examples of note: Jackie Coogan, Jackie Cooper, and Jackie Gleason, all formally named John). This "Jackie" diminutive of the nickname Jack is thought by some to have hailed from the earlier "Jackin" (born of the appellation Jankin).[3][4] Alternatively, it may be derived from the name Jacques, the French form of the name James or Jacob.[3] There is also a theory that it is Celtic in origin, meaning "healthy, strong, full of vital energy" (compare the Welsh word iach, "health"), from a putative Ancient British Yakkios.[5] Whatever its origin, both the name and the word "jack" were long used as a term to refer to any man, especially of the common classes.[2][6]
Frequency
Given name
In recent years (most notably since 2003), the nickname Jack (for the more formal John and, to a lesser extent, for Jacob) has become increasingly used as the actual formal name (i.e., baptismal name rather than a nickname) for boys in England, Ireland, Northern Ireland, the United States, and Wales. Jack was included on lists of the most frequently used male baby names in the UK for 2003–2007.[7][8][9] The high status of Jack as a formal male given name (versus its traditional John-derivative) is a recent phenomenon, although the formal name from which it derives – John – has held the title, along with William, of most frequent male name throughout the 1880s and first half of the 1900s.[10] In 1994, "Jack" was the most popular name in London but does not appear among the top-10 most popular in the preceding 970 years.[10] A survey in December 2008 showed that Jack was the most popular name in the UK for the 14th year running, since it took over from Thomas in 1994.
In 2014, Jack was again the most popular name for baby boys in Ireland.[11]
In 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2013, Jack was the most common boy's name in Australia.[12]
According to the United States Census of 1990, "Jack" is an uncommon American name, the given name for 0.315% of the male population and 0.001% of the female population.[1][13][14] However, the frequency of use of "Jack" as a baby name has steadily increased from the 160–170 rank prior to 1991 to a rank of 35 in 2006.[15]
Jock is the Scottish form of the name John. Its similarity to the common John derivative or nickname Jack is apparent.
Surname
The appearance of "Jack" as a surname is much less frequent than its use as a male given name. In 1990, in the United States, this surname is shared by about 0.007% of the population, though the geographical distribution of the surname has been broad since at least 1840, at which time there was a modest concentration of Jacks in Pennsylvania.[13][16][17] In the late 19th century, the geographic distribution of Jacks in England was also broad, with concentration in North East England, Yorkshire and the Humber, and southern North West England.[18] In 1891, the highest concentration of Jacks in the United Kingdom appeared in Scotland. The surname is considered almost exclusively Scottish.[19]
People with given name Jack
- Jack Abel, American comic book artist
- Jack Abramoff, former American lobbyist, businessman, movie producer, and writer
- Jack Adams, several people
- Jack Aker, American former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher
- Jack Albertson (1907–1981), American actor
- Jack Angel, American actor
- Jack Arute, currently covers the NFL and college sports for Sirius XM Radio
- Jack Asher, English cinematographer
- Jack Barakat, lead guitarist for punk rock band All Time Low
- Jack Benny, American comedian, vaudevillian, radio, television, and film actor, and violinist
- Jack Black, American actor, musician and comedian
- Jack Blott, All-American football center and place kicker
- Jack Brabham, Australian racing driver
- Jack Brickhouse, American sportscaster
- Jack Brisco, American professional wrestler
- Jack Bruce, Scottish musician, composer, and vocalist
- Jack Buck, American sportscaster
- Jack Cade, the leader of a popular revolt against the government of England in 1450
- Jack Bridger Chalker, British artist and teacher
- Jack L. Chalker, American science fiction author
- Jack Charlton, English former footballer and manager
- Jack Chesbro, Major League Baseball pitcher
- Jack T. Chick, American publisher, writer, and comic book artist of evangelical fundamentalist Christian tracts and comic books
- Jack E. Clarke, Australian rules footballer and coach in the VFL
- Jack Cock, English footballer
- Jack Coombs, pitcher in Major League Baseball
- Jack Cork, English footballer
- Jack Crawford, several people
- Jack Crisp, professional Australian rules football player
- Jack Cronin, American football player
- Jack Cust, American former professional baseball designated hitter and outfielder
- Jack Daly, Fine Gael politician from County Kerry in Ireland
- Jack Daniels, several people
- Jack Dann, American writer
- Jack Dee, English stand-up comedian, actor, and writer
- Jack DeJohnette, American jazz drummer, pianist, and composer
- Jack Del Rio, American football coach
- Jack Dempsey, several people
- Jack Doan, American veteran professional wrestling referee
- Jack Dorsey, Co-founder and CEO of Twitter
- Jack Douglass, American YouTube comedian of "jacksfilms" fame
- Jack Dromey, British Labour Party politician and trade unionist
- Jack Dugger, deriv. of John; American football player
- Jack Dyer, prominent figure in Australian rules football
- Jack Elam, American film and television actor
- Jack Elder, former New Zealand politician
- Jack Ellena, American football player
- Jack Elway, American football player and head coach
- Jack Ely, American guitarist and singer
- Jack Endino, producer and musician based in Seattle
- Jack Evans, several people
- Jack Faber, American microbiologist and college football and lacrosse coach
- Jack Falahee, American actor, star of How To Get Away With Murder.
- Jack Fellure, American perennial political candidate and retired engineer
- Jack Fingleton, Australian cricketer
- Jack Finney, American author
- Jack Fleck, American professional golfer
- Jack Foley, several people
- Jack Fultz, retired American long-distance runner
- Jack Garfinkel, American basketball player
- Jack Givens, retired American collegiate and professional basketball player
- Jack Glasscock, American shortstop in Major League Baseball
- Jack Gold, British film and television director
- Jack Goody, British social anthropologist
- Jack Gotta, American-born Canadian professional football player, coach, and general manager
- Jack Graf, two-sport athlete
- Jack Graney, Canadian left fielder in Major League Baseball
- Jack Grant, Australian rules footballer
- Jack Greenwell, English footballer and manager
- Jack Haden, American football player
- Jack Hale, Australian rules footballer
- Jack Haley, several people
- Jack Halliday (American football), American football player
- Jack Ham, former American football linebacker
- Jack Hanna, American zookeeper
- Jack Hannah, animator, writer, and director of animated shorts
- Jack Herer, American cannabis activist
- Jack Hill, several people
- Jack Hirsh, Canadian clinician and scientist
- Jack Hobbs, English professional cricketer
- Jack Hoffman (American football), American football player
- Jack Holt, several people
- Jack Randolph Hutchins, American genealogist
- Jack Hyles, leading figure in the Independent Baptist movement
- Jack Iddon, English cricketer
- Jack Ikin, English cricketer
- Jack Ingram, several people
- Jack Iroga, sprinter from the Solomon Islands
- Jack Irons, American musician
- Jack Iverson, Australian cricketer
- Jack Jacobs, several people
- Jack Jewsbury, American soccer player
- Jack Johnson, several people
- Jack Jones, several people
- Jack Kamen, American illustrator for books, magazines, comic books, and advertising
- Jack Katz, American businessman
- Jack Keane, retired four-star general and former Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and defense analyst
- Jack Kemp, American politician and collegiate and professional football player
- Jack Kennedy, deriv. of John; American President
- Jack Kerouac, deriv. of Jean-Louis; American novelist
- Jack Ketch, an infamous English executioner employed by King Charles II
- Jack Kevorkian, deriv. of Jacob; American doctor
- Jack Kilby, American electrical engineer
- Jack Kirby, several people
- Jack Klugman, deriv. of Thomas Jacob; American actor
- Jack Kornfield, American author and teacher in the vipassana movement in American Theravada Buddhism
- Jack Ladyman, American politician
- Jack Layton, Canadian social democratic politician and Leader of the Official Opposition
- Jack Leathersich, American Baseball Player
- Jack Lemmon, deriv. of John; American actor
- Jack Lew, American government administrator, attorney, and 76th and current United States Secretary of the Treasury
- Jack London, several people
- Jack Lord, American television, film, and Broadway actor
- Jack Lynch, several people
- Jack Ma, Chinese entrepreneur and philanthropist
- Jack Mack, Australian rules footballer
- Jack Mara, co-owner of the New York Giants
- Jack Marsh, Australian first-class cricketer
- Jack McBrayer, American comedic actor
- Jack McCall, murderer of Old West legend Wild Bill Hickok
- Jack McConnell, former First Minister of Scotland
- Jack McCracken, American basketball player in 1930s and 1940s
- Jack Morris, American former Major League Baseball starting pitcher
- Jack Nance, American actor of stage and screen
- Jack Narz, American television announcer and game show host
- Jack Nasher, German business psychologist, author, and a professor at Munich Business School
- Jack Neo, Singaporean film and television actor, host, and director
- Jack Nicholson, deriv. of John; American actor
- Jack Nicklaus, American golfer
- Jack Nitzsche, musician, arranger, producer, songwriter, and film score composer
- Jack Novak, American former professional football player
- Jack Null, American college basketball coach
- Jack Oakie, American actor
- Jack O'Connell, British actor
- Jack Ohman, editorial cartoonist at The Sacramento Bee
- Jack Okey, American art director
- Jack Oleck, American novelist and comic book writer
- Jack Olsen, American journalist and author
- Jack O'Neill, several people
- Jack Osbourne, English media personality
- Jack O'Shea, former Irish sportsperson
- Jack Owen, several people
- Jack Paar, American author, radio, and television comedian and talk show host
- Jack Palance, American actor
- Jack Pardee, American football linebacker and head coach
- Jack Parsons, several people
- Jack Patera, former American football player and coach in the National Football League
- Jack Peart, English footballer
- Jack Pickersgill, Canadian civil servant and politician
- Jack Joseph Puig, Grammy Award-winning music engineer and producer
- Jack Quaid, American actor
- Jack Quinlan, American sportscaster
- Jack Quinn, several people
- Jack N. Rakove, American historian, author, professor at Stanford University, and Pulitzer Prize winner
- Jack Ralite, French politician
- Jack Ramsay, American basketball coach
- Jack Reed, several people
- Jack Regan, several people
- Jack Rieley, American record producer
- Jack Riewoldt, professional Australian rules footballer
- Jack Rosenthal, English playwright
- Jack Roush, founder, CEO, and co-owner of Roush Fenway Racing
- Jack Ruby, nightclub operator who killed Lee Harvey Oswald
- Jack Russell, several people
- Jack Shepherd, several people
- Jack Sikma, retired American NBA basketball center
- Jack Sock, American tennis player
- Jack Souther, an American-Canadian geologist
- Jack Steinberger, physicist
- Jack Straw, deriv. of John; British politician
- Jack Swagger, American professional wrestler
- Jack Swift, Australian athletics competitor and paratriathlete
- Jack Tatum, American football safety
- Jack Tighe, American coach, manager, and scout for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball
- Jack Titus, Australian rules football player
- Jack Trice, American football player
- Jack Troy, Australian rugby league footballer
- Jack Twyman, American professional basketball player and sports broadcaster
- Jack Ulrich, Canadian professional ice hockey right winger
- Jack Underman, American basketball player
- Jack Underwood, professional football player
- Jack Unruh, commercial illustrator
- Jack Unterweger, Austrian serial killer
- Jack Urban, former right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher
- Jack Vale (disambiguation), former Australian rules footballer
- Jack Valenti, longtime president of the Motion Picture Association of America
- Jack Van Berg, American Hall of Fame horse trainer
- Jack Van Impe, American televangelist
- Jack Vance, deriv. of John; American author
- Jack Vettriano, Scottish painter
- Jack Victory, American professional wrestler and manager
- Jack Vidgen, Australian singer
- Jack Viney, professional Australian rules football player
- Jack Voigt, former Major League Baseball outfielder
- Jack Vosti, Australian rules footballer
- Jack Waite, former American tennis player
- Jack Warner, several people
- Jack Webb, American actor, television producer, director, and screenwriter
- Jack Welch, several people
- Jack White, several people
- Jack Wild, English actor
- Jack Williamson, American science fiction writer
- Jack Wilshere, English footballer
- Jack Liangjie Xu, former Co-President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of SINA Corporation
- Jack Yan, New Zealand publisher, designer, and businessman
- Jack Yang, Harvard scientist and chair of board of directors of International Society of Intelligent Biological Medicine (ISIBM)
- Jack Yarber, American singer, songwriter, and guitarist
- Jack Yeandle, English rugby union player
- Jack Yellen, American lyricist and screenwriter
- Jack Yerman, former American athlete
- Jack Yost, Democratic member of the West Virginia Senate
- Jack Youngblood, American former college and professional football player
- Jack Youngerman, American artist
- Jack Zajac, American artist
- Jack Zduriencik, General Manager of Major League Baseball's Seattle Mariners
- Jack Zelig, American gangster
- Jack Zeller, American baseball executive
- Jack Zhao, Chinese professional contract bridge player
- Jack Ziebell, Australian rules footballer
- Jack Zilly, professional American football player
- Jack Zipes, American retired Professor of German at the University of Minnesota
- Jack Zouhary, United States federal judge on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Ohio
- Jack Zunz, civil engineer and former chairman of Ove Arup & Partners
Fictional characters
Comics
- Jack, a furry webcomic by David Hopkins
- Jack Horner in Bill Willingham's Fables and spin-offs.[20]
- Jack Noir, one of the main villains in Homestuck
Film
- Jack, a pseudonym used for the Narrator in the 1999 film Fight Club
- Jack Bell, from Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line
- Jack Burton, fictional character from the film Big Trouble in Little China
- Jack Brooks, fictional character from the film Jack Brooks: Monster Slayer
- Jack Campbell, fictional character from the film The Family Man
- Jack Crawford, fictional character from the film The Silence of the Lambs
- Jack Dawson, fictional character from the 1997 film Titanic
- Jack Frost, fictional character from the film Rise of the Guardians
- Jack Powell, fictional character from the film Jack
- Jack Reacher, fictional character from the film of the same name
- Jack Ryan, a fictional character from the Tom Clancy films
- Jack Skellington, fictional character from the film The Nightmare Before Christmas
- Jack Sparrow, fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
- Jack Torrance, fictional character from the film The Shining
Literature
- Jack, an archetypal English hero of such fairy tales as "Jack and the Beanstalk"
- Jack Aubrey, an officer in the Royal Navy of the Napoleonic Wars, one of the two main characters in the Aubrey–Maturin series by Patrick O'Brian
- Jack Merridew, leader of the boys' choir that became his hunting band in the novel Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- Jack Reacher, protagonist in a series of novels written by Lee Child
- Jack Ryan, protagonist in a series of novels written by Tom Clancy
Nursery rhymes
Music
Songs
- "Ballin' the Jack", a popular song that introduced a dance of the same name
- "Big Jack", a song by AC/DC
- "Captain Jack", an early Billy Joel song about a heroin dealer
- "Happy Jack", a song by The Who, and the U.S. title of their second album
- "Hey Jack Kerouac", a song by 10,000 Maniacs
- "Hit the Road Jack", a song written by Percy Mayfield and recorded by various artists
- "Jack and Diane", a song by John Mellencamp
- "Jack Straw, a song by The Grateful Dead
- "Jumpin' Jack Flash", a song by the Rolling Stones
- "Ode to Billy Jack", theme song for the film Billy Jack
- "Smackwater Jack", a ballad by Carole King
- "The Jack", a song by AC/DC
Television
- Jack, from the children's TV series Jack's Big Music Show
- Jack, a main character in the Canadian television series Rusty Rivets
- Jack, main character in the animated TV series Samurai Jack
- Jack, a front-loader from the TV series Thomas and Friends
- Jack Bauer, main character in the TV series 24
- Jack Bowser, a character from the reboot of Electric Company in their 24 Seconds segments
- Jack Branning, fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders
- Jack Carter, a character in the TV series Eureka
- Jack Donaghy, fictional character in the TV series 30 Rock
- Jack Fenton, main character from Danny Phantom
- Fr Jack Hackett, fictional character in the TV series Father Ted
- Jack Harkness, main character in the TV series Torchwood & reappearing character in the TV series Doctor Who
- Jack Hodgins, fictional character from the TV series Bones (TV series)
- Jack Landors (Power Rangers SPD) 1st Red SPD Ranger"
- Jack O'Neill, main character in the TV series Stargate SG-1
- Jack Shephard, main character in the TV series Lost
- Jack Spicer, fictional villain in the TV series Xiaolin Showdown
- Jack Tripper, fictional character in the TV sitcom series Three's Company and Three's a Crowd
- Ultraman Jack, from the 1971 tokusatsu series The Return of Ultraman
Video games
- Handsome Jack, the main antagonist from Borderlands 2
- Jack (a.k.a. Subject Zero), a female squad member from the Mass Effect series; her real name is revealed to be Jennifer in Mass Effect 3
- Jack (a.k.a. Big Boss or Naked Snake) from the Metal Gear Solid series
- Jack (a.k.a. Raiden), from the Metal Gear Solid series
- Jack (followed by a number from 1–7), a playable character from Tekken series
- Jack of Blades, the antagonist of Fable
- Jack Cayman, the protagonist of Anarchy Reigns and MadWorld
- Jack Joyce, the protagonist of Quantum Break
- Jack Mitchell, the protagonist of Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare
- Jack Morrison (a.k.a. Soldier: 76) a playable character from Overwatch
- Jack Wynand, (a.k.a. Jack Ryan), the silent protagonist of Bioshock
Mascots
- Jack (mascot), the official spokesman for the American restaurant chain Jack in the Box
- Jack the Bulldog, Georgetown University mascot
Other uses
- Jack Frost, bringer of winter in folklore
- Jack Frost, a brand of sugar
- Jack Pattillo of Achievement Hunter
- Eyeless Jack, a creepypasta character that steals people's organs
- Laughing Jack, the killer clown from creepypasta
See also
References
- 1 2 "Name search results". Search name files from 1990 Census. United States Census Bureau. 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
NAME(female):JACK ; RANK:3217; %FREQ (CUMM FREQ):0.001 (88.832)
- 1 2 JACK (Encyclopædia Britannica, 1910). Retrieved 2011-02-04.
- 1 2 "Jack". Thinkbabynames.com. n.d. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ↑ Campbell, Mike (n.d.). "Behind the Name: Meaning, Origin and History of the Name Jack". Behind the Name. Mike Campbell. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ↑ "English words of British origin - dexsowā". Google Sites. n.d. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ↑ "Dictionary entry, jack". Dictionary.com. Ask.com. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
- ↑ "Top 100 names for baby boys in England and Wales". National Statistics Online. Office for National Statistics. 2007. Archived from the original on May 22, 2011. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
- ↑ "Jack and Katie are the most popular baby names in Northern Ireland". News. Department of Finance and Personnel, Northern Ireland. 2007-12-19. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
Jack has been the most popular boys name since 2003....
- ↑ "Jack and Emma were the most popular first names in Northern Ireland in 2003" (PDF) (Press release). Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency. 2004-01-02. Retrieved 2008-02-14.
Jack and Emma were the most popular first names given to children whose births were registered in Northern Ireland in 2003
- 1 2 Galbi, Douglas A. (2002-07-20). "Long-Term Trends in Personal Given Name Frequencies in England and Wales". 1.1. (self-published). Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ↑ "So, what were the most-popular baby names in Ireland last year?". Kidspot. January 9, 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
- ↑ "Australia's 100 most popular baby names". Kidspot. April 2, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-10.
- 1 2 The male, female, and total populations of the United States in the 1990 census were 121,239,418; 127,470,455; and 248,709,873, respectively. Information from "General Population and Housing Characteristics: 1990". 1990 Summary Tape File 1 (STF 1) - 100-Percent data. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
- ↑ "Name search results". Search name files from 1990 Census. United States Census Bureau. 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
NAME(male):JACK ; RANK:53; %FREQ (CUMM FREQ):0.315 (48.102)
- ↑ Popular baby names
- ↑ "Name search results". Search name files from 1990 Census. United States Census Bureau. 2007-09-07. Retrieved 2008-02-09.
NAME(last):JACK ; RANK:1852; %FREQ (CUMM FREQ):0.007 (50.991)
- ↑ "Jack Family History Facts 1840". Family Facts. The Generations Network, Inc. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ↑ "Jack Families Living in England and Wales in 1891". Family Facts. The Generations Network, Inc. Retrieved 2008-02-10.
- ↑ Retrieved 08-24-11
- ↑ http://www.vertigocomics.com/graphic-novels/jack-of-fables-vol-1-the-nearly-great-escape