Boy Dog Names That Start With J

  1. Johnny
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      The ultimate midcentury nickname, retaining a good measure of retro charm, was chosen for her son by Mira Sorvino.
  2. Josue
    • Origin:

      French, Spanish and Portuguese variation of Joshua, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "the Lord is my salvation"
    • Description:

      Josue - usually written as Josué - is a French, Spanish, and Portuguese variation of Joshua that has been in the US Top 300 since 1990 and in the Top 1000 since the 70s. While it remains popular in Brazil, Chile, and Mexico, in its native Spain, France, and Portugal, it has fallen slightly out of style.
  3. Jove
    • Origin:

      Mythological name
    • Description:

      Another name for Jupiter, king of the Roman gods, this jovial name is eminently ready for modern use. Feminine variations include Jovita and Jovie.
  4. Journey
    • Origin:

      Word name
    • Description:

      Journey is one of the hot new spiritual names. Although Journey was given in 2015 to over 1100 baby girls and fewer than 100 baby boys, it's more visible on the celebrity baby scene as a boys' name: Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green just chose the name for their third son, who also has the unisex middle name River.
  5. Jebediah
    • Origin:

      Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "beloved friend"
    • Description:

      Like its better known cousin Jedidiah, Jebediah is one of those four-syllable Old Testament names that is being shorn of its long white-bearded image, with the help of its modern-sounding Jeb nickname.
  6. Jiro
    • Origin:

      Japanese
    • Meaning:

      "second son"
    • Description:

      Commonly used Japanese name -- and not only for a second son.
  7. Jonesy
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Jones, English surname derived from John
    • Meaning:

      "God is gracious"
    • Description:

      It's difficult to imagine anyone using the first name Jonesy -- and in fact, in the most recent US tally, there were nearly 100 babies named Jones but none named Jonesy. Still, this is a name that many people with Jones for a name, last or first, end up being known by, and as a nickname, it's sorta cute in a Skip, Chip, Bitsy kind of way.
  8. Jetson
    • Origin:

      Variation of Judson
    • Description:

      The surname name Jetson may have originated as a variation on Judson, a patronymic related to Jordan, but it is more familiar to most Americans as the last name of the futuristic cartoon family. Jetson may appeal to parents as a proper form leading to the cool boy nickname Jet.
  9. Jennings
    • Origin:

      English surname
    • Meaning:

      "son of John"
    • Description:

      Jennings is a common English surname that originated as a patronymic for the child of someone named Jen, a short form of John.
  10. Jaire
    • Origin:

      Variation of Congo Zaire, variation of Hebrew Jair, "the river that swallows all rivers; to shine"
    • Meaning:

      "the river that swallows all rivers; to shine"
    • Description:

      Inspired by the rise of the African place name, Jaire is a recently new creation. The original form derives from a Congo term meaning "the river that swallows all rivers", and is currently a Top 500 choice in the US.
  11. Jedi
    • Origin:

      Literary name or short form of Jedidiah, Hebrew
    • Meaning:

      "Beloved by the Lord"
    • Description:

      Star Wars fans may know the lore behind the origin of the word and the concept Jedi well enough to confidently choose their name for their child. It has to do with balancing the forces of the universe.
  12. Julio
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Julius
    • Meaning:

      "youthful: downy-bearded; sky father"
    • Description:

      What with Paul Simon's classic lyric about Julio down by the schoolyard and several distinguished bearers, this livelier Spanish version of Julius is completely familiar to the non-Hispanic community and would make a great choice for a bicultural family. Popular in Brazil, it also ranks in the US Top 600 and given to more than 500 boys each year. NFL Atlanta Falcons star Julio Jones bears this name.
  13. Jadiel
    • Origin:

      Spanish variation of Yadiel
    • Description:

      Jadiel and Yadiel are Spanish versions of the Hebrew Yehudiel, the name of one of the archangels. It's been in the US Top 1000 since 2008, but still hovers towards the bottom.
  14. Jeff
    • Origin:

      Diminutive of Jeffrey, Jefferson
    • Meaning:

      "pledge of peace"
    • Description:

      The ultimate dad name.
  15. Jovi
    • Origin:

      Variation of Jove
    • Meaning:

      "father of the sky"
    • Description:

      Joining Lennon, Bowie, and Hendrix in the realm of classic rock-inspired names that feel fashionable today is Jovi — as in Bon Jovi. Jovi is a variation of the Latin Jove — another name for the Roman god of the sky, Jupiter.
  16. Jarek
    • Origin:

      Slavic
    • Meaning:

      "spring"
    • Description:

      Diminutive for all the Slavic names that start with Jar-. If for family or cultural reasons you're seeking such a name, then this is a reasonable short form.
  17. Jrue
    • Origin:

      Modern invented, variation of Drew
    • Description:

      This phonetic spelling of Drew feels particularly distanced from the original classic Andrew. Jrue, along with other phonetic "Jr" names such as Jream, is on the rise in the US — even cracking the Top 1000 in 2022.
  18. Junior
    • Origin:

      Latin
    • Meaning:

      "young"
    • Description:

      The line should end with Junior Soprano. While most would expect this to be a nickname rather than an actual given name, Junior has always ranked in the US Top 1000, hitting its peak in 1925 at Number 116.
  19. Jim
    • Origin:

      English, diminutive of James
    • Meaning:

      "supplanter"
    • Description:

      Peaked in the 1940s, but still an amiable classic, a la Joe and Tom -- though rarely used on its own.
  20. Jalmari
    • Origin:

      Finnish form of Old Norse Hjalmar
    • Meaning:

      "helmet protector"
    • Description:

      Distinctive-sounding Scandinavian name. with deep roots. Short form is the attractive Jari.