Of English and/or French origin.
Derived from the name Jackin which was a medieval diminutive of John.
In its feminine use, Jackie, often derives from the name Jacqueline.
Jack is also given as a proper name in its own right.
It was common during the Middle Ages and it was used as a slang word for “man”.
Other sources associate Jack with the name Jacques, French form of the name Jacob.
Jackie was a common masculine diminutive of John in Medieval times.
Another theory is that the names origins are Celtic, meaning strong or healthy, deriving from the Welsh word “iach”.
Mostly used for men in common classes. It is extremely used as a noun or a verb in the English language, for many common actions or objects, e.g. jack straw, union jack, jack tar, jack of clubs and so on.
Other versions of the name are: Jake, Jackie, Jackin, Jens, Jock, Jax, Jocky, Jockie, Jani, Jon, Jankin, Jan.
Famous bearers are Jack London, Jack Nicholson, Jack Kerouac, Jack Lemmon, Jack White, Jack Palance, Jack Klugman, Jack Black, Jack Daniel, Jake Gyllenhaal, Jackie Chan, Jack Bruce, Jake Shears, Jake Hoffman, Jake LaMotta, Jackie Mason, Jake Weber, Jake Owen, Jack Warden, Jack Haig, Jack Coleman, Jack Weston, Jack Krizmanich, Jack Conley, Jack Gilpin, Jackie Wilson, Jackie Mittoo, Jackie Lomax, Jackie Earle Haley, Jackie Robinson, Jackie Martling, Jake Miller, Jackie Kennedy-Onassis, Jackie Joyner-Kersey.
Very popular and famous is also the fictional Captain Jack Sparrow, the main protagonist in the “Pirates of the Caribbean” film series, portrayed by Johnny Depp, as well as Jack Bauer, of the American tv series “24”, portrayed by Kiefer Sutherland.
Jake LaMotta, nicknamed “The Raging Bull”, was portrayed by Robert De Niro in a 1980 film, directed by Martin Scorsese, that was praised by critics and won two Oscar Awards.
Jack London and Jack Kerouac are both considered pioneers of the literary world and have a continuing impact on young people all over the world.
Jack is a popular name in Scotland, Ireland, England and Wales, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States.