Given name & surname
Jae
“resembling a jaybird”
In English use, Jae carries the interpretation “resembling a jaybird.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Jae carries the interpretation “resembling a jaybird.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is English.
How it developed
Jae is used as a feminine counterpart of Jay.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1918. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Jae through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,980
- 1,700 boys · 1,280 girls
- Most popular year
- 2020
- 71 babies
- 2025
- 60
- #2,956 for boys · #6,414 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −6%
- Steady
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 61% boys.
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 42 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 2,956 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 3.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. It also appeared in 18 birth records for girls in 2025. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 9,440 as a first name in 2020; 267 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jae’s family of names
Jae is a feminine form of Jay. Jae has a related form in Jai. In English usage, Jae has a related form in Jay.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Jae
- Jae HeadAmerican child actorborn 1996
- Kil ChaeKorean politician and philosopher (1353-1419)
- Jae LeeAmerican comics artistborn 1972
- Jae Kingi-CrossAustralian basketball player (born 1976)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jae, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Roe
“one who hunts deer”
46% boys · 54% girls
Larkin
“a pretty young woman” · “one who is fierce”
40% boys · 60% girls
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67% boys · 33% girls
Zenith
“from the highest point”
71% boys · 29% girls
Mills
“one who lives near the mill”
75% boys · 25% girls
Ramsey
Ramsey is used as a given name and a surname. One English interpretation is “from the raven island; from the island of wild garlic.”
56% boys · 44% girls
Gentry
“woman with a high social standing” · “of good breeding; holding a high social standing”
52% boys · 48% girls
Wylie
“a clever and coy woman”
72% boys · 28% girls