Jack (given name)

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Jack /ˈdʒæk/ is a male given name, although in very rare cases it can be used as a female given name,^[1] and sometimes as a surname. In English it is traditionally used as the diminutive form of the name John, though it is also often given as a proper name in its own right.

The name Jack is unique in the English language for the frequency of its use as a verb and a noun for many common objects and actions; and also its use in many compound words and phrases: jack-of-all-trades, jackknife, jackpot, jack tar, hijack, union jack, jack straw (scarecrow), apple jack, lumberjack, jackhammer, jackdaw, jack o'lantern, jack-off, jack-in-the-box, jack of clubs (playing cards), 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

The name Jack probably originated as a medieval diminutive of the name John, originally as "Jackin" (earlier Jankin).^[3][4] Alternatively it may be derived from the name Jacques, which is the French form of the name 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 *Jakkios.^[5] Whatever its origin, the name and also 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 England, Wales and Northern Ireland, "Jack" was the most frequently used male name for the years 2003–2007.^[7][8][9] The high status of Jack as a male given name is a recent phenomenon. For all of the 1800s and the first half of the 1900s, William or John held the title of most frequent male given name.^[10] A closer look at London shows that as of 1994 "Jack" was the most popular name in the city, but does not appear among the top-ten most popular in the preceding 970 years.^[10] A survey in December 2008 showed that Jack is the most popular name in the UK for the 14th year running, since it took over from Thomas in 1994.

In 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2013 Jack was the most common boy's name in Australia.^[11]

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][12][13] 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.^[14]

Jock is the Scottish form of the name Jack.

Surname

The appearance of "Jack" as a surname is much less frequent than its use as a male given name. In 1990 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.^[12][15][16] In the late 19th century, the geographic distribution of Jacks in England was also broad, with enrichment in North East England, Yorkshire and the Humber and southern North West England.^[17] In 1891, the highest concentration of Jacks in the United Kingdom appeared in Scotland. The surname is considered almost exclusively Scottish.^[18]

List of people with given name Jack

• Jack the Bulldog, Georgetown University mascot
• Jack the Ripper, pseudonym of unidentified London serial killer active from 1888 to 1891

Jack in fiction

• Jack (hero), an archetypal English hero

TV

• Jack Bauer, main character in the TV series 24
• Jack Branning, fictional character from the BBC soap opera EastEnders
• Jack Shephard, main character in the TV series Lost
• Jack Harkness, main character in the TV series Torchwood & reappearing character in the TV series Doctor Who
• Jack O'Neill, main character in the TV series Stargate SG-1.
• Jack Tripper, fictional character in the TV sitcom series Three's Company and Three's a Crowd
• Jack Donaghy, fictional character in the TV series 30 Rock

Film

• Jack Sparrow, fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean films
• Jack Reacher, fictional character from the film of the same name
• Jack Skellington, fictional character from the film Nightmare before Christmas
• Jack Dawson, fictional character from the film Titanic
• Jack Bell, from Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line.
• Jack Frost, fictional character from the film Rise of the Guardians.

Music

• Ballin' the Jack - a popular song that introduced a dance of the same name
• Jack Straw (song) - a song by The Grateful Dead
• Captain Jack - the title of an early Billy Joel song about a heroin dealer
• Hit the Road Jack - a song written by Percy Mayfield and recorded by various artists
• Big Jack (song) - a song by AC/DC
• The Jack - a song by AC/DC
• Happy Jack - a song by The Who, and the U.S. title of their second album
• Jack and Diane - a song by John Mellencamp
• Smackwater Jack - a ballad by Carole King
• Jack Barakat - lead guitarist for punk rock band All Time Low

Literature

• Jack and the Beanstalk, a classical story
• 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

Comics

• Jack (webcomic), a furry webcomic by David Hopkins
• Jack Noir, one of the main villains in Homestuck

Nursery rhymes

• Jack and the Beanstalk, an old fairy tale known throughout the world
• Jack and Jill (song), a nursery rhyme
• Jack Be Nimble, a nursery rhyme
• Jack sprat, a nursery rhyme
• Little Jack Horner, a nursery rhyme

Video games

• Jack (a.k.a. Subject Zero), a squad member from the Mass Effect series. It is worth noting that she is female, and "Jack" is merely a nickname. Her real name is revealed to be Jennifer in Mass Effect 3.
• Handsome Jack, the main antagonist from Borderlands 2.
• Jack (a.k.a. Big Boss a.k.a. Naked Snake) from the Metal Gear Solid series.
• Jack (a.k.a. Raiden), also from the Metal Gear Solid series.

Other

• Jack (mascot), the official spokesman for the American restaurant chain Jack in the Box
• Jack Frost, mythological bringer of winter
• Jack Pattillo of Achievement Hunter
• Eyeless Jack, a creepypasta character that steals people's organs

See also

• Jack (surname)
• Jock (disambiguation)
• Jacques (disambiguation)
• James (disambiguation)

References

This page or section lists people that share the same given name. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.