JACK JORDAN

Originally a pet form of John, but now a well‐established given name in its own right. It is derived from Middle English Jankin, later altered to Jackin, from Jan (a contracted form of Jehan ‘John’) + the diminutive suffix -kin. This led to the back-formation Jack, as if the name had contained the Old French diminutive suffix -in. It is sometimes also used as an informal pet form of James, perhaps influenced by the French form Jacques. It has been the most popular boys' name in England and Wales since 1995. Well-known bearers include the actor Jack Nicholson (b. 1937) and the golfer Jack Nicklaus (b. 1940). See also Jock and Jake.

English, French, German, Polish, and Slovenian; Spanish and Hungarian (Jordán): from the Christian baptismal name Jordan. This is taken from the name of the river Jordan (Hebrew Yarden, a derivative of yarad ‘to go down’, i.e. to the Dead Sea). At the time of the Crusades it was common practice for crusaders and pilgrims to bring back flasks of water from the river in which John the Baptist had baptized people, including Christ himself, and to use it in the christening of their own children. As a result Jordan became quite a common personal name.