Unisex · #5,525 in 2026

Java

Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in the South East Asian country of Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north.

Current Rank
#5,525
Peak Rank
#3,595 (1969)
Total Babies
20
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #7,650 (17 total)
👦 Boy peak #3,595 (20 total)
👦As Boy Name
1969
First Year
1980
Last Year
1969
Peak Year
#3595
Peak Rank
20
Total Count
3
Years Active
👧As Girl Name
1978
First Year
2000
Last Year
1978
Peak Year
#7650
Peak Rank
17
Total Count
3
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Java

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in the South East Asian country of Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Etymology
Main article: Names of Java See also: Zabag (ancient territory) and Al-Wakwak The origins of the name "Java" are not clear. Java may have been named after the jawa (foxtail millet) plant, derived from the Proto-Austronesian root *zawa . The historian Michael Laffan argued that the vernacular form jawa is more likely to have derived from an older form *yaba , based on the directionality of sound changes. In the early nineteenth century, the British scholar Stamford Raffles suggested that another possible source for Java's name is the word jauh (which he spelled jaú ), a Malay word meaning "beyo

The Story of Java

As a girl name

Java first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1978, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1978, when 7 Javas were born — ranking #7,650 that year. As of 2026, Java ranks #15,031 for girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 17 Javas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1970s through the 2020s.

As a boy name

Java first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1969, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1969, when 7 Javas were born — ranking #3,595 that year. As of 2026, Java ranks #5,525 for boys with 6 births, with steady use. In total, more than 20 Javas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

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PA
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MD
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Top 10
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No data

Names that sound like Java

Phonetically similar names — useful when Java 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 Java

What does the name Java mean?
Java is one of the Greater Sunda Islands in the South East Asian country of Indonesia. It is bordered by the Indian Ocean to the south and the Java Sea to the north.
How popular is Java in 2026?
In 2026, Java ranks #5,525 among boys' names in the U.S., with 6 babies given the name that year.
When was Java most popular?
Java reached its peak popularity in 1969, ranking #3,595 that year with 7 babies given the name.
Is Java a unisex name?
Yes — Java is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 46% of Javas assigned female and 54% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Java?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Java include Tobbie, Ion, Jary. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👦 Similar Boy Names

👦
Tobbie
Peak #3595
👦
Ion
Peak #3595
👦
Jary
Peak #3595
👦
Regnald
Peak #3595

👧 Similar Girl Names

👧
Gabina
Peak #7650
👧
Eladia
Peak #7650
👧
Laquata
Peak #7650
👧
Shaula
Peak #7650

About the name Java

Java is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1969 and has accumulated 20 births in the dataset. Java's peak popularity came in 1969 when it ranked #3,595. Use the chart and map above to compare Java's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.