UK boy's name
Jed
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved".
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.
Jed is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jed popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #1758, with 14 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 139 births.
This profile covers 1,839 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 10% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 2,067 living people in the UK are called Jed. 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
- • Jed ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 14 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 139 boys were registered as Jed.
- • Jed ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #415 in 2015.
- • About 2,067 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jed as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#1758
2024
Births in 2024
14
Latest year
Peak year
1997
139 births
Estimated living
2,067
2026
Meaning
What does Jed mean?
The name Jed has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture. It is a shortened form of the name Jedidiah, which means "beloved of God" or "friend of God" in Hebrew. The name can be traced back to biblical times and is mentioned in the Old Testament as the name of King David's son, who was also known as Solomon.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jed can be found in the Book of Samuel in the Old Testament, where it is used as a reference to King David's son, Jedidiah. The name gained popularity among Jews and later Christians, who adopted it as a way to honor the biblical figure.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Jed. One of the most famous was Jed Hotchkiss (1828-1899), an American engineer and military officer who served in the American Civil War. He is credited with developing innovative artillery tactics and was a pioneer in the field of military topography.
Another well-known Jed was Jed Prouty (1879-1956), an American character actor who appeared in over 150 films during the golden age of Hollywood. He is best remembered for his roles in films such as "Mr. Deeds Goes to Town" and "The Grapes of Wrath."
In the realm of literature, Jed Parsons (1905-1958) was a notable American author and journalist. He wrote several novels, including "The Romantic Southwest" and "The Early Adventures of Mutt the Mongrel Pup," and also worked as a foreign correspondent during World War II.
Jed Marum (1934-2019) was a pioneering computer scientist and engineer who played a crucial role in the development of the internet. He was instrumental in the creation of the ARPANET, the precursor to the modern internet, and his work laid the foundation for many of the technologies we use today.
Finally, Jed Jacobsohn (born 1963) is a renowned American photojournalist who has covered numerous major sporting events, including multiple Olympic Games and Super Bowls. His work has been published in prestigious publications such as Sports Illustrated and National Geographic.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jed over time
The chart below shows babies named Jed 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 Jed, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 14 births in 2024, compared with 139 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jed by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jed 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 | #1513 | 83 | 5 |
| 2010s | #1069 | 272 | 10 |
| 2000s | #332 | 973 | 10 |
| 1990s | #238 | 511 | 4 |
Geography
Where Jed is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jed. 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.
Jed ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #415 in 2015.
Across the UK
Jed in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#701 in 2019
30 years of NRS records, 230 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#415 in 2015
5 years of NISRA records, 18 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Jed
-
Jed Smithson
sport cyclist
British cyclist
2005-
-
Jed Wallace
association football player
British footballer
1994-
-
Jed Harper-Penman
association football player
English footballer (born 1994)
1994-
-
Jed Steer
association football player
English association football player (born 1992)
1992-
-
Jed Davies
association football coach; association football player
Welsh football coach (born 1988)
1988-
-
Jed O'Toole
guitarist
British musician
1960-
-
Jed Williams
journalist; jazz musician
Welsh journalist and jazz musician (1952–2003)
1952-2003
-
Jed Solomon
artistic gymnast
British artistic gymnast
Related
Names similar to Jed
- 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
Jed: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jed in the UK right now?
In 2024, Jed was ranked #1758 for boys in England and Wales, with 14 births registered.
When was Jed most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 139 babies registered as Jed in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jed?
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "beloved".
How many people are called Jed in the UK?
A total of 1,839 babies have been registered as Jed across the 29 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 230 more in Scotland and 18 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Jed most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Jed ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #415 in 2015. 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.