UK boy's name
Jacen
Jacen is a masculine name of American origin meaning "little supplanter".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Jacen is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jacen popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4991, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 3 births.
This profile covers 9 England and Wales registrations across 3 recorded years from 2009 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 100% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 12 living people in the UK are called Jacen. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jacen ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 3 boys were registered as Jacen.
- • Jacen ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #669 in 2012.
- • About 12 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jacen as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4991
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2009
3 births
Estimated living
12
2026
Meaning
What does Jacen mean?
The name Jacen is a modern invented name that does not have a long historical lineage or etymology rooted in a specific language or culture. It appears to be a relatively recent creation, likely inspired by the popular Star Wars character Jacen Solo, the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa, introduced in the 1990s Star Wars expanded universe novels.
While the name Jacen does not have ancient origins, it may have been derived from the Biblical name Jacob, which has Hebrew roots meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows." The name Jacob has been in use for centuries and has spawned various spellings and variations across different languages and cultures.
The earliest recorded use of the name Jacen as a given name is relatively recent, and it does not appear to have been widely used until after the introduction of the Star Wars character in the 1990s. Since then, the name has gained some popularity, particularly among fans of the Star Wars franchise.
Due to its modern origin and limited historical use, there are no well-known historical figures or notable individuals from ancient times who bore the name Jacen. However, some individuals with this name in more recent times include:
1. Jacen Solo, the fictional character from the Star Wars expanded universe, first introduced in the novel "The Courtship of Princess Leia" by Dave Wolverton in 1994.
2. Jacen Bower, an American professional basketball player who played in the NBA D-League and overseas leagues in the early 2000s.
3. Jacen Shelton, an American football player who played as a linebacker for various teams in the National Football League (NFL) from 2014 to 2018.
4. Jacen Troxler, an American actor and filmmaker known for his work in independent films and short films in the 2010s.
5. Jacen Phillip-Karapetyan, a German-Armenian professional basketball player who has played in various European leagues since the late 2000s.
Overall, while the name Jacen lacks a deep historical background, it has gained some popularity as a modern given name, likely influenced by the Star Wars franchise and its character Jacen Solo.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jacen over time
The chart below shows babies named Jacen registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2009 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jacen, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 3 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jacen by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jacen was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4890 | 6 | 2 |
| 2000s | #4527 | 3 | 1 |
Geography
Where Jacen is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jacen. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Jacen ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #669 in 2012.
Across the UK
Jacen in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#669 in 2012
1 years of NRS records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Jacen
- Jack 188,738
- Joshua 145,192
- James 141,878
- Joseph 102,259
- Jacob 93,754
- Jake 66,896
- Jamie 41,243
- Jordan 36,750
- Jayden 28,921
- Jude 24,156
- John 22,240
- Joe 19,164
FAQ
Jacen: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jacen in the UK right now?
In 2023, Jacen was ranked #4991 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Jacen most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 3 babies registered as Jacen in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jacen?
Jacen is a masculine name of American origin meaning "little supplanter".
How many people are called Jacen in the UK?
A total of 9 babies have been registered as Jacen across the 3 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 3 more in Scotland.
Where is Jacen most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Jacen ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #669 in 2012. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.