UK boy's name
Jak
A shortened form of the name Jacob, derived from Hebrew meaning "holder of the heel".
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.
Jak is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jak popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3688, with 5 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2002, with 159 births.
This profile covers 1,957 England and Wales registrations across 29 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 3% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 2,128 living people in the UK are called Jak. 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
- • Jak ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 5 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2002, when 159 boys were registered as Jak.
- • Jak ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #341 in 2006.
- • About 2,128 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jak as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3688
2024
Births in 2024
5
Latest year
Peak year
2002
159 births
Estimated living
2,128
2026
Meaning
What does Jak mean?
The given name Jak has its origins in the Slavic languages, particularly Polish and Czech. It is a diminutive form of the name Jakob or Jacob, which is derived from the Hebrew name Ya'akov meaning "supplanter" or "one who grasps the heel". The name can be traced back to biblical times, with the patriarch Jacob being a prominent figure in the Old Testament.
In the Middle Ages, the name Jak became popular among Slavic populations, especially in Poland and the Czech lands. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name is Jak of Sandomierz, a Polish nobleman who lived in the 13th century and served as a castellan (castle commander) during the reign of Duke Leszek I the White.
Another notable figure with the name Jak was Jak Kresa, a Czech military leader and knight who fought in the Hussite Wars of the 15th century. He was a prominent figure in the Bohemian Reformation and played a crucial role in the defense of the city of Tábor against the forces of the Holy Roman Empire.
In the realm of literature, one of the most famous bearers of the name Jak was Jak Kochanowski, a Polish Renaissance poet and writer who lived from 1530 to 1584. He is regarded as one of the greatest poets in the Polish language and his works have had a lasting influence on Polish literature and culture.
In more recent history, Jak Smolík (1868-1956) was a Czech painter and illustrator who is best known for his landscape paintings and depictions of rural life in Bohemia. His works capture the beauty of the Czech countryside and the daily lives of its inhabitants.
Another notable figure with the name Jak was Jak Yelchin (1989-2016), an American actor of Russian descent who appeared in numerous films and television shows, including the Star Trek reboot series, where he portrayed the character of Pavel Chekov. His tragic death in a freak accident at the age of 27 brought attention to the issue of vehicle safety and the need for better consumer protection.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the given name Jak, a name with deep roots in Slavic culture and a rich history spanning centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jak over time
The chart below shows babies named Jak registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, 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 Jak, the clearest high point is 2002. The latest England and Wales figure is 5 births in 2024, compared with 159 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jak by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jak 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 | #2686 | 41 | 5 |
| 2010s | #984 | 353 | 10 |
| 2000s | #318 | 1,111 | 10 |
| 1990s | #257 | 452 | 4 |
Geography
Where Jak is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jak. 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.
Jak ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #341 in 2006.
Across the UK
Jak in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#701 in 2019
24 years of NRS records, 187 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#341 in 2006
1 years of NISRA records, 3 total registered
Related
Names similar to Jak
- 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
Jak: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jak in the UK right now?
In 2024, Jak was ranked #3688 for boys in England and Wales, with 5 births registered.
When was Jak most popular?
The peak year on record was 2002, with 159 babies registered as Jak in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jak?
A shortened form of the name Jacob, derived from Hebrew meaning "holder of the heel".
How many people are called Jak in the UK?
A total of 1,957 babies have been registered as Jak across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 187 more in Scotland and 3 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Jak most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Jak ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #341 in 2006. 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.