Jade
Meaning
the gemstone, from Spanish piedra de ijada; a direct translation pick for families whose Chinese name carries 玉 (yù, "jade") or Vietnamese name carries Ngọc (jade/jewel); one of the cleanest meaning-for-meaning matches in this whole list
The story
Jade is the gemstone, and the gemstone's name is a small history lesson: Spanish traders called it piedra de ijada, stone of the flank, from an old belief that it eased pains in the side, and English clipped the phrase down to jade. As a girls' name it is one of the cleanest translation picks anywhere: families whose Chinese heritage includes the character yu, or whose Vietnamese lineage carries Ngoc, can bring the meaning straight into English without losing a thing. In US records the name surfaced in the 1960s and climbed for four straight decades; Mick Jagger named his daughter Jade in 1971, and the climb steepened through the years that followed, though we cannot prove the connection. It peaked in the 2000s and has settled only slightly since, still bright, still cool to the touch, one polished syllable.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Jade peaked in the 2000s.
Popularity in Brazil
26,671 people · the #888 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 7,634 · median age 8
Among people named Jade living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 9,715 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Jade
Most people given the name Jade in the United States are teenagers or young adults today.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Jade deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Jade truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Jade fits with your family’s names and surname.
Keep exploring
Names like Jade · Middle names for Jade · Dual-language baby names · Short names
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