UK name, mostly boys
Jae
A Korean masculine name typically transcribed from the Chinese meaning "precious" or "admirable".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Jae is mostly registered for boys in the UK records. People looking for Jae popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5119, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 21 births.
This profile covers 308 England and Wales registrations across 26 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. 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 14% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 332 living people in the UK are called Jae. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jae ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 21 boys were registered as Jae.
- • Jae ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #549 in 2009.
- • About 332 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jae as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
- • Across the England and Wales records shown here, 84.4% of Jae registrations are for boys.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5119
2024
Births in 2024
3
Latest year
Peak year
1997
21 births
Estimated living
332
2026
Gender
Boy and girl registrations for Jae
In England and Wales birth records, Jae has been registered for both boys and girls. Across the years shown here, 84.4% of registrations are for boys and 15.6% are for girls.
These figures use the sex categories in the published baby-name files. They are useful for spotting how the name is used at registration, but they are not a live measure of gender identity or everyone living with the name today.
Jae registered for boys
- Ranked #5,119 in 2024
- 3 boys registered in 2024
- Peak: 1997 (21 births)
Jae registered for girls
- Ranked #4,524 in 2008
- 4 girls registered in 2008
- Peak: 2000 (12 births)
Meaning
What does Jae mean?
The name Jae is a unisex given name with roots in various cultures and languages. Its origins can be traced back to the Korean language, where it is a shortened form of the name Jaehyun, meaning "one who is gracious and kind." The name Jae is also found in other Asian languages like Japanese and Chinese, where it can be a shortened form of names like Jaeho or Jaehyung.
In the Korean culture, the name Jae gained popularity during the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1897), when it was commonly used for both male and female children. One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Jae can be found in the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty, a historical record that documented the lives and events of Korean monarchs and nobles.
Moving to other cultures, the name Jae has been used in various forms and spellings throughout history. In ancient Hebrew texts, the name Yael (pronounced similarly to Jae) is mentioned as the name of a heroic woman who helped defeat the Canaanite army. This name is thought to be derived from the Hebrew root word "ya'el," meaning "mountain goat."
In ancient Greece, the name Iaeus (pronounced similarly to Jae) was used as a epithet for Apollo, the god of music, poetry, and prophecy. This name is derived from the Greek word "iaō," which was a celebratory exclamation used in religious rituals.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Jae. One of the earliest recorded was Jae Heng (828-887), a Korean Buddhist monk and scholar who played a significant role in the propagation of Buddhism in the Silla Kingdom. Another notable figure was Jae Yeong (1587-1624), a Korean Confucian scholar and calligrapher who served as a minister during the Joseon Dynasty.
In more recent times, the name Jae has been carried by various artists and public figures. Jae-Myung Lee (born 1964) is a South Korean politician who served as the governor of Gyeonggi Province. Jae-Hyo Lee (born 1965) is a South Korean actor and singer known for his roles in television dramas. Jae-Yong Kim (born 1968) is the vice-chairman of Samsung Electronics and one of the most influential business leaders in South Korea.
Other notable individuals with the name Jae include Jae-Hwan Kim (born 1987), a South Korean professional baseball player, and Jae-Sung Lee (born 1989), a South Korean singer and member of the K-pop group Day6.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jae over time
The chart below compares boys and girls registered as Jae in England and Wales, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jae, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2024, compared with 21 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jae by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jae 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 | #4611 | 10 | 3 |
| 2010s | #2756 | 78 | 9 |
| 2000s | #1359 | 142 | 10 |
| 1990s | #803 | 78 | 4 |
Geography
Where Jae is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jae. 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.
Jae ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #549 in 2009.
Across the UK
Jae in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#549 in 2009
7 years of NRS records, 27 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Jae
-
Jae Martin
association football player
English footballer (born 1976)
1976-
Related
Names similar to Jae
- 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
Jae: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jae in the UK right now?
In 2024, Jae was ranked #5119 for boys in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Jae most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 21 babies registered as Jae in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jae?
A Korean masculine name typically transcribed from the Chinese meaning "precious" or "admirable".
How many people are called Jae in the UK?
A total of 308 babies have been registered as Jae across the 26 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 27 more in Scotland.
Where is Jae most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Jae ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #549 in 2009. 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.