Joyful, Jubilant, Jolly “J” Names For Girls

The Arabic name Jamila means “beauty,” and I love it because it’s a rare combination of a unique girl name that begins with J while also being easy to pronounce and classic.

Juniper trees are beautiful, hardy, and long-lived conifers that thrive in even harsh environments. I love the name Juniper and what it represents — may your daughters be similarly tenacious!

The fragrant jasmine flower has different symbolic meanings depending on culture, but is often associated with love, beauty, purity, and/or modesty. Jasmine is just a lovely “J” name for your girl.

Jade is a gorgeous name for your girl, but it also has a fun backstory for babies. This beautiful green stone is used to make jewelry, but in Spanish folklore, it’s also said to cure colic in infants!

I love Junia as a spin on the more traditional (and also beautiful) name “June.” Junia comes from Latin and means “born in June,” so it’s especially perfect for a late spring/early summer baby.

The name Juliet was made famous when Shakespeare bestowed it upon his star-crossed lover in Romeo and Juliet. The name comes from Latin and means “youthful” (much like the titular, ill-fated character herself).

OK, hear me out: I think Jane is due for a comeback. While people think of it as common and plain, it is far from popular, reaching only #265 on the Social Security list of baby names in 2021. This name derives from old French and means “God is gracious.”

Joya is an Anglicized version of the Italian name “Gioia” (pronounced the same), which means “joy.” It can also be spelled “Joia.”

Jaiyana is a girl name that starts with “J” that’s popular throughout the Muslim world, and with good reason. This lovely girls name — pronounced “Jay-anna” — comes from Urdu and means “strength.”

Don’t let the “J” in this unique girl’s name Jael fool you — this one comes to us from Hebrew and is pronounced “Yah-el,” which means “wild mountain goat,” which is maybe the best thing I’ve ever heard. In the Bible, Jael (sometimes spelled Yael) delivered Israel a mighty enemy by killing Sisera, commander of King Jabin’s armies, through trickery and stealth.

The classic girl name Jacqueline begins with J and comes from France, meaning “supplanter” (which, in turn, means “one who replaces another of lesser value.”) I love it and its association with First Lady and style icon Jacqueline Kennedy.

Juliana is the English version of the Italian name Giuliana (pronounced the same), and means “youthful.”

The name Jayla appears to a modern spin on Kayla, and has no particular meaning, but it makes me think of a jay bird, known for their distinct, robust calls.

Jimena is an alternative spelling of Ximena and is of Spanish origin (it’s the Spanish version of the English name “Simone”). It’s a sweet girl name that starts with “J” that means “listener” or “she who has heard.”

Jewel is a unique girl’s name and is fairly straight forward. It’s such a bright, sparkling name for a little girl.

Jaasira is a gorgeous girl name that starts with “J” and is an Arabic name that means “courageous.”

Journey is a pretty self-explanatory girl’s name that first gained some popularity (at least enough for it to crack the Top 1,000 baby names in the U.S.) in 1999. It has become more popular over the years without becoming too popular.

Jessa is a spin on the more traditional (and also lovely) Jessica, coming from Hebrew and meaning “God beholds.” It’s one of those girl names that sounds like a nickname, but can stand alone beautifully.

Jaylani is a unique girl’s name of certain origin, but Hawaiian girl names often end with “lani,” which means “heaven” or “sky.” It may be a modern spin on “Leilani,” which means “heavenly garland of flowers.”

Juana is a classic Spanish girls name, and is the feminine version of “Juan” or “John,” meaning “God is gracious.”

Jacobina is the feminine version of Jacob, and it may have risen in popularity due to the Jacobite movement in Scotland in the 17th and 18th centuries (for all you British history buffs, they were the ones trying to ensure Stuart kings remained on the throne). It means “supplanter.”

This beautiful J name of Juno is not just the name of Elliot Page’s first big role. Juno was the queen of the gods in Ancient Rome, and ruled over marriage and childbirth.

The baby girl name Jayaa means “victory” in Sanskrit. It is an epithet for the Hindu goddesses Durga and Saraswati.

The meaning of this gorgeous name Jahzara is unclear, but it’s truly unique and lends itself to some cute nicknames like Jay, Zara, or Zee.

Justice is a pretty unique baby girl name that starts with “J” and I just have to say, can you imagine twins named Liberty and Justice? They could have their own police procedural when they grow up!

This unisex name, Jumoke, is of Yoruba origin and means “everyone loves the child,” and I think that’s a great way to welcome any baby into the world. Traditionally, this is often the second part of a longer name, like “Olajumoke,” but it works as a standalone as well!

Jordana is the feminine version of Jordan, and is fairly modern. It means “to flow downward,” as it is a reference to the river of the same name where Jesus is said to have been baptized.

Jamelle is a modern, sort-of-but-not-entirely-French spin on the Arabic name “Jamal” or “Jamila,” which means “beautiful.”

I’m biased, but I think the name Jamie is pretty cute. It’s versatile, gender neutral, and has a million different spellings (Jaime, Jaimie, Jaymie, Jami, Jamy, Jaymee...) Like many of the J girl names on our list, it comes from the same root as Jacob or James and means “supplanter.”

I love that the Hindi Janitra name means “birthplace,” as it’s a great way to remind your daughter throughout her life not to forget her roots. Also, it’s just plain pretty.

Jakira is an American variant on the Arabic name Shakira (which means “thankful”), and is a beautiful twist on a classic.

In Dutch, Jansje is about equivalent to the English name Janice and means “God is gracious.” While English speakers might have difficulty knowing how to pronounce it just looking at it, it’s easy to say once you know: either JANs-ya or YAns-eeya.

Jaffa is a gorgeous girl name that starts with “J,” but might require you sharing how to pronounce it. The J here is tricky as it’s pronounced like a “Y.” This Hebrew name means “beautiful.”

Growing up, I had multiple friends named Jenny, but haven’t heard it much since the ‘80s/’90s and I think it’s time to bring it back as a stand-alone name. Traditionally, it’s short for “Jennifer,” which comes from the Welsh “Gwenhwyfar” (Guinivere) and means “fair one.”

I love the unisex name Jett (with no particular meaning, incidentally) as a kind of rock and roll, edgy (but not too edgy) name that’s also super cute. It’s also a nice ode to the great Joan Jett.

A classic “old lady” name, Josephine was most popular in the late 1910s, but has found renewed popularity in recent years (without becoming too popular). It derives from Hebrew and means “God shall grow.”

OK, I know the baby name Jezebel is a bold choice. Thanks to the wicked queen in the Bible, Jezebel has some not-so-nice connotations in modern usage, often referring to a wantonly sexual woman... but I feel like it’s about time we took this one back. I mean, it’s a great name and means “pure” in Hebrew.

April, May, and June have been popular month names for a while now, and I think it’s high time January joined the ranks. After all, it seems to have worked out for actress January Jones.

I’m sorry, a baby girl named Jazz is perfection. Experts are not exactly sure where the word “jazz” comes from, but most guesses imply spirit, pep, excitement, and energy, so I love this creative, artistic, sassy name for a little girl.

In India, Jahnavi is another name for the Ganges, a sacred river in Hinduism. It means “daughter of Janhu.” Jahnu is a hermit-king of Chandravamsha dynasty in Hinduism, who is said to have unleashed the waters of the Ganges from his ear.

My husband once said that the best kind of baby name is one that lets them know they’re celebrated and loved as soon as they arrive, and I think “Joy” really fits the bill in that regard. Sweet, simple, and classic.

The baby girl name Jodi derives from “Judah” and means “a Jewish woman.” I love it for its simplicity, its ability to convey heritage, and, of course, for Jodi(e) Comer aka Villanelle in Killing Eve.

A sweet, pleasant name, Jocelyn comes, in a very roundabout way, from Old German. It refers to “the Gauts,” an Ancient German tribe. It morphed into Gautzelin in Old French and, over time, became “Josceline” in Britain before gradually morphing into Jocelyn in the 19th century.

Too long have only boys had the opportunity to enjoy this super-cute, highly versatile name of Joey. In the tradition of girls taking boy names (Max, Frankie, James), I’m going to add Joey to the list.