JACK
Jack is a surname of English, Hebrew and Scottish provenance, most commonly derived from the given name Jack, itself a diminutive of John.
The name John originates from the Hebrew name Yochanan, which translates to "Yahweh is gracious." The surname can therefore be interpreted as denoting a son or descendant of a person bearing this name, or of those bearing the equivalent Jacques or Jacob, the latter meaning "supplanter" or "following after" in Hebrew.
Documentary evidence of the surname appears in the late twelfth and early thirteenth centuries. In 1195 the Pipe Rolls of Cornwall record a petitioner identified as “Petrus filius Jake.” The name is documented again in 1251 in the Chartulary of Ramsey Abbey, where it is spelt William Jagge, and by 1260 a witness named William Jake appears in the Assize Court Rolls of Cambridgeshire.
Following the Norman Conquest of 1066, the Old French form Jacques entered English usage and was Anglicised in a variety of forms including Jake, Jacke and Jeke. The diminutive Jack itself was thus popularised across England, and the surname spread throughout the British Isles. In Scotland, the name was recorded among Gaelic-speaking Christian communities, reflecting its Celtic roots.
The Jack family is represented by a heraldic achievement comprising a shield divided per saltire in silver and black, with two green leaves in pale and two gold acorns in fesse; the crest is a green pear tree fruiting with gold acorns. One of the earliest emigrants bearing the name was John Jack, a twenty‑seven year old who departed the Port of London aboard the ship “Amitie” for St. Christopher’s, Barbados, in October 1635.
Today the surname Jack remains relatively common, occurring in many English‑speaking countries and retaining its original links to the personal names John and Jacob as well as its medieval and heraldic heritage. It is often used to signify lineage from an ancestor locally known by the diminutive Jack or the more formal christening John or Jacob.
Typical given names associated with the Jack surname
Male
- Alexander
- Andrew
- David
- Ian
- James
- John
- Michael
- Robert
- Thomas
- William
Female
- Alison
- Anne
- Catherine
- Elizabeth
- Fiona
- Janet
- Jean
- Karen
- Margaret
- Mary
- Sarah
- Susan
Similar and related surnames
- Geck
- Geekie
- Jaax
- Jac
- Jaca
- Jacca
- Jacey
- Jacka
- Jacke
- Jackes
- Jackey
- Jackhu
- Jacki
- Jackie
- Jackiw
- Jacko
- Jackow
- Jacks
- Jacksn
- Jackso
- Jackues
- Jackus
- Jacky
- Jaco
- Jacq
- Jacque
- Jacques
- Jacqz
- Jacs
- Jacy
- Jaeck
- Jaka
- Jake
- Jakes
- Jaki
- Jakk
- Jakka
- Jako
- Jaks
- Jaksa
- Jaksz
- Jaku
- Jaque
- Jaques
- Jax
- Jeakes
- Jeaks
- Jec
- Jeck
- Jecks
- Jeke
Related and similar names are generated algorithmically based on the spelling, and may not necessarily share an etymology.
How to communicate the surname Jack in...
Braille
⠚⠁⠉⠅
Morse
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Semaphore
Did you know?
According to a survey carried out by Democracy Club, politicians and candidates with the surname Jack are most likely to say that their favourite biscuit is a Hobnob.
There are approximately 10,135 people named Jack in the UK. That makes it the 915th most common surname in Britain. Around 156 in a million people in Britain are named Jack.
Surname type: From given name or forename
Origin: Celtic
Region of origin: British Isles
Country of origin: Scotland
Religion of origin: Christian
Language of origin: Gaelic
Famous people named Jack
- Alister Jack - Scottish politician
- Wearside Jack - Hoaxer (1956 to 2019)
- Ryan Jack - Scottish football player
- David Jack - Football player (1899 to 1958)
- Michael Jack - Politician
- Simon Jack - Journalist
- Lucien Jack - Singer
- Ross Jack - Scottish football player
- Bob Jack - Scottish football player and manager (1876 to 1943)
- Henry Jack - Scottish mathematician (1917 to 1978)
- William Jack - 1795-1822, Scottish botanist (1795 to 1822)
- Rollo Jack - Football player (1902 to 1)
- Richard Jack - Painter (1866 to 1952)
- John Jack - Scottish football player (1932 to 1988)
- John Crabbie also known as 'Jack' - Scottish rugby union player (1879 to 1937)
- Walter Jack - Scottish football player (1874 to 1936)
- David Jack - Pharmacologist (1924 to 2011)
- William Jack - Scottish mathematician and journalist (1834 to 1924)
- William Jack - Australian politician (1892 to 1982)
- Stephen Jack - Football player
Names and descriptions courtesy of Wikipedia, and may contain errors. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of every famous person with this name.