Unisex · #12,120 in 2026

Jinx

A jinx, in popular superstition and folklore, is a curse or the attribute of attracting bad or negative luck.

Current Rank
#12,120
Peak Rank
#2,341 (1950)
Total Babies
196
5-Yr Trend
Stable
👧 Girl peak #2,341 (196 total)
👦 Boy peak #10,889 (11 total)
👧As Girl Name
1926
First Year
2024
Last Year
1950
Peak Year
#2341
Peak Rank
196
Total Count
23
Years Active
👦As Boy Name
2023
First Year
2024
Last Year
2024
Peak Year
#10889
Peak Rank
11
Total Count
2
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Jinx

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

A jinx, in popular superstition and folklore, is a curse or the attribute of attracting bad or negative luck.

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

Etymology
The Online Etymology Dictionary states that jynx , meaning a charm or spell, was in usage in English as early as the 1690s. The same source states that "jinx", with that specific spelling, is first attested in American English in 1911. Jynx/jinx is traced to the 17th-century word jyng , meaning "a spell", and ultimately to the Latin word iynx , also spelled jynx , as 'j' and 'i' are the same letter in Latin. The Latin iynx came from the Greek name of the wryneck , iunx , associated with sorcery; not only was the bird used in the casting of spells and in divination , but the Ancient Romans and
Origin & history
A character named Mr Jinx appeared in Ballou's monthly magazine – Volume 6, page 276, in 1857. [ citation needed ] Barry Popik of the American Dialect Society suggests that the word can be traced back to an American folksong called Captain Jinks of the Horse Marines written by William Lingard in 1868. [ citation needed ] In 1887, the character Jinks Hoodoo, described as "a curse to everybody, including himself" appeared in the musical comedy Little Puck , and the name was quickly picked up by the press.

The Story of Jinx

As a girl name

American parents first put Jinx on the record books as a girl name in 1926, with 6 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1950, when 18 Jinxs were born — ranking #2,341 that year. About 41% of every Jinx on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Jinx last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 7 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 196 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1920s to the 2020s.

As a boy name

The earliest SSA record of Jinx as a boy name dates back to 2023, when 5 babies received it. 2024 was its biggest year on record, with 6 newborns named Jinx — #10,889 in the national rankings. Jinx last appeared in the published SSA data in 2024, with 6 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 11 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 2020s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Girls Boys

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Jinx

Phonetically similar names — useful when Jinx is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

  • Jinks
  • Jynx
  • Jenks
  • Junks
  • Jencks
  • Genx
  • Chinks
  • Chunks
  • Jinxed
  • Jink
  • Jix
  • Gics

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Jinx

What does the name Jinx mean?
A jinx, in popular superstition and folklore, is a curse or the attribute of attracting bad or negative luck.
How popular is Jinx in 2026?
In 2026, Jinx ranks #12,120 among girls' names in the U.S., with 7 babies given the name that year.
When was Jinx most popular?
Jinx reached its peak popularity in 1950, ranking #2,341 that year with 18 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Jinx most popular?
Jinx has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Jinx.
Is Jinx a unisex name?
Yes — Jinx is used for both girls and boys in U.S. records, with about 95% of Jinxs assigned female and 5% assigned male historically.
What names go well with Jinx?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Jinx include Meribeth, Ladene, Marlyne. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧 Similar Girl Names

👧
Meribeth
Peak #2341
👧
Ladene
Peak #2341
👧
Marlyne
Peak #2341
👧
Fabian
Peak #2341

👦 Similar Boy Names

👦
Swift
Peak #10889
👦
Caruso
Peak #10889
👦
Azizi
Peak #10889
👦
Adeem
Peak #10889

About the name Jinx

Jinx is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1926 and has accumulated 196 births in the dataset. Jinx's peak popularity came in 1950 when it ranked #2,341. Use the chart and map above to compare Jinx'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.