Girl Dog Names That Start With J

Jara is a name with roots in several different cultures and languages, with different meanings and associations. She's the Hindu goddess of the household, happiness, and prosperity. In Spanish, where the name is pronounced with an H sound at the beginning ala Jose, Jara is a flower name meaning "rock-rose". In Arabic, the meaning of "earthen water jug" relates it to both the earth and to water.

A sweet name with many cross-cultural ties: it's an equivalent of Jane in languages including Czech, Slovak, Dutch, German, Slovene, Catalan, Estonian, and Latvian.

One of the group of French 'ette'-ending names that emigrated to this country in the last century, though never as popular as some others, such as Claudette and Paulette--it did have a little six-year flurry here between 1967 and 1973. Josette may be feminine and flirty, but, given the choice, most parents today would prefer Josephine.

Jessamine, a charming name occasionally heard in England, is just beginning to be appreciated in the U.S. as a possible successor to all the Jess names of the past. It's also spelled Jessamyn, as in Quaker novelist Jessamyn West, author of Friendly Persuasion--who started life with Jessamyn as her middle name.

Still evokes the spunky image of the character in Louisa May Alcott's Little Women.

TV personality Jules Asner made this middle-aged male name suddenly seem young and fresh and female, after having been an off-the radar-nickname for Julia and Julie. Author and wife of celebrity chef Jamie Oliver spells her name Jools, and we've also seen Joolz.

Iconic folk singer Joni Mitchell (born Roberta Joan) lends this cute vintage nickname a cool, bohemian feel. This spelling feels more streamlined and modern than Mad Men-esque Joanie.

Jacinta, the Spanish word for hyacinth, is a lot softer and sweeter than the English version. The correct Spanish pronunciation is ha-SEEN-ta, though many English speakers would say ja-SIN-ta. Although the name is slightly different, Jacinta is largely associated at present with Australian-born actress Jacinda Barrett.

Long used in Spanish-speaking countries, this strong but feminine name was jump-started here by the rise of actress Jada Pinkett Smith. The Italian Giada is a popular variation. In the Bible, the name Jada was borne by a man and has a different root and meaning: It's Hebrew and means "he knows".

One of the new word names, appealing to parents attracted to the idea of a spiritual -- or even an actual -- voyage. The Journee spelling is also being used. Unisex alert: Jenna Jameson used Journey for one of her twin boys, as did the Black Eyed Peas rock musician known as Taboo.

For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.

This name of a Buddhist goddess, a possible alternative to the trendy Maya, was chosen for their daughter by Laura Dern and Ben Harper. Jaya is simple yet unusual, a winning combination, and one of the out-of-the-box goddess names as well as one of the most easily translated Hindi names for girls.

Pronounced just like Jean in the English-speaking world, but as the more unusual zhahn in France, this has sailed away with the first wave of French favorites: Denise, Michelle, et soeurs.

Once rare, this streamlined form of Jessica has been boosted by two very different television figures: the Jemima Kirke character on HBO series Girls, and reality television daughter Jessa Duggar.

This biblical name of the mother of King Jotham of Judah has an appealing soft Russian accent.

A modern invented name, taken directly from the French phrase "J'adore", meaning "I love".

This once obscure name was propelled to fame by Britney Spears, and by Will and Jada Pinkett Smith in the 2000's. It skyrocketed into the US Top 10 for boys, but it also saw significant use for girls.

This variation of Jordan entered the Top 1000 in 1989. Jordyn as well as Jordan trended throughout the 90s and early 2000s, but are beginning to fall slightly on the girls' side. While the Jordan spelling reached the highest point in popularity out of the 2, making it into the Top 50 in the late 90s and early 2000s, today Jordyn has taken the lead.

A cute nickname, but June is a much better bet for the birth certificate.

Jupiter may be known as the father of all the gods, but it's baby girls who have claimed his name for their own. Mythological and celestial baby names are hot across the board, so Jupiter was bound to rise in popularity. But the reason it's currently mostly female in the US is thanks to its similarities to the trendy feminine name Juniper.