Ja
The Story of Ja
As a girl name
American parents first put Ja on the record books as a girl name in 1957, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2000, when 14 Jas were born — ranking #7,157 that year. About 35% of every Ja on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Ja last appeared in the published SSA data in 2007, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 136 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1950s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
The earliest SSA record of Ja as a boy name dates back to 1971, when 7 babies received it. 1999 was its biggest year on record, with 20 newborns named Ja — #3,704 in the national rankings. About 26% of every Ja on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. Ja last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 8 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 299 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1970s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Ja
Phonetically similar names — useful when Ja is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Ja
What does the name Ja mean?
How popular is Ja in 2026?
When was Ja most popular?
In which U.S. states is Ja most popular?
Is Ja a unisex name?
What names go well with Ja?
About the name Ja
Ja is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1971 and has accumulated 299 births in the dataset. Ja's peak popularity came in 1999 when it ranked #3,704. Use the chart and map above to compare Ja's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1999 →
- Names of the 1990s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.