Jack (given name): Difference between revisions
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*[[Jack Hodgins (Bones)]], fictional character from the TV series ''[[Bones (TV series)]]'' |
*[[Jack Hodgins (Bones)]], fictional character from the TV series ''[[Bones (TV series)]]'' |
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*[[Fr Jack Hackett]], fictional character in the TV series ''[[Father Ted]]'' |
*[[Fr Jack Hackett]], fictional character in the TV series ''[[Father Ted]]'' |
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*Jack, main character in the animated TV series ''[[Samurai Jack]]'' |
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===Film characters=== |
===Film characters=== |
Revision as of 05:32, 23 January 2015
Pronunciation | dʒæk (jak) |
---|---|
Gender | Male |
Origin | |
Word/name | Middle English, indirect diminutive of "John" |
Other names | |
Related names | John, Jacob, Jackie, Jackson, Johnny, Jacqueline, Jacques, Jake, Jay, Jayceon, Jaco[disambiguation needed], 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 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
Jack is thought to harken 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 Gleason; Jackie Coogan, Jackie Cooper, all of whom were 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, 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 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, vs a nickname) for boys in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Ireland and the United States. 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 (versus its traditional John-derivative) male given name 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] A closer look at London shows that in 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][failed verification] 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 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 enrichment 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]
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 Albertson (1907–1981), American actor
- Jack Black, derivative of John; American actor, musician and comedian
- Jack Dugger, deriv. of John; American football player
- Jack Hoffman (American football), American football player
- Jack Kennedy, deriv of John; American President
- Jack Kerouac, deriv. of Jean-Louis; American novelist
- Jack Kevorkian,deriv. of Jacob; American doctor
- Jack Klugman, deriv. of Thomas Jacob; American actor
- Jack Lemmon, deriv. of John; American actor
- Jack McConnell, former First Minister of Scotland
- Jack Nicholson, deriv. of John; American actor
- Jack Nicklaus, American golfer
- Jack Palance, American actor
- Jack Reed (disambiguation), several people
- Jack Russell, several people
- Jack Souther, an American-Canadian geologist
- Jack Straw, deriv. of John; British politician
- Jack Vance, deriv. of John; American author
- Jack Vettriano, Scottish painter
- Jack Wilshere, English footballer
Jack in fiction
- Jack, an archetypal English hero
TV characters
- 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
- Jack Bowser, a character from the reboot of Electric Company in their 24 Seconds segments.
- Jack Carter (Eureka), a character in the TV series Eureka
- Jack Landors (Power Rangers SPD) 1st Red SPD Ranger"
- Ultraman Jack, from the 1971 tokusatsu series The Return of Ultraman
- Jack Fenton, main character from Danny Phantom
- Jack Hodgins (Bones), fictional character from the TV series Bones (TV series)
- Fr Jack Hackett, fictional character in the TV series Father Ted
- Jack, main character in the animated TV series Samurai Jack
Film characters
- Jack Sparrow, fictional character in the Pirates of the Caribbean films.
- Jack Torrance, fictional character from the film The Shining.
- 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 1997 film Titanic
- Jack Bell, from Terrence Malick's The Thin Red Line.
- Jack Frost, fictional character from the film Rise of the Guardians.
- Jack Crawford, fictional character from the film The Silence of the Lambs.
- Jack Campbell, fictional character from the film The Family Man
- Jack Burton, fictional character from the film Big Trouble in Little China
- Jack Ryan - a fictional character from the Tom Clancy films
- Jack Powell, fictional character from the film of the same name Jack.
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
- Hey Jack Kerouac - a song by 10,000 Maniacs
- Jumpin' Jack Flash - a song by the Rolling Stones
Literary characters
- 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.
- Jack Wynand (a.k.a. Jack Ryan), the silent protagonist of Bioshock.
- Jack of Blades, the antagonist of Fable.
- Jack Cayman, the protagonist of MadWorld and Anarchy Reigns
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
- Laughing Jack, the killer clown from creepypasta
See also
References
- ^ a b "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)
- ^ a b JACK (Encyclopædia Britannica, 1910). Retrieved 2011-02-04.
- ^ a b "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.[unreliable source?]
- ^ "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. 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
- ^ a b 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.
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(help) - ^ "So, what were the most-popular baby names in Ireland last year?". Kidspot. January 9, 2015. Retrieved 2015-01-21.
- ^ "ustralia's 100 most popular baby names". Kidspot. April 2, 2013. Retrieved 2014-01-10.
- ^ a b 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.
- ^ http://www.ancestry.co.uk/facts/Jack-family-history-sct.ashx Retrieved 08-24-11