Jack
/dʒæk/noun
A male given name, or a tool, device, or object associated with a man or servant in various compounds.
Did you know?The name Jack spread so widely in English that it became a generic label for an ordinary man, which is why it later turned up in phrases like jack-of-all-trades and jack-in-the-box.
Etymological Timeline
Hebrew
Hebrew
Yōḥānān
““Yahweh is gracious.””
Greek
Greek
Iōánnēs
“Greek form of the biblical name John.”
Latin
Latin
Iohannes
“Latin biblical and ecclesiastical form of John.”
Old French
Old French
Jehan / Jan
“Common French forms of John.”
Middle English
English
Jacke
“A familiar pet form of John, later used for an ordinary man or fellow.”
Modern English
English
jack
“A male name and a common noun for a man, laborer, tool, or device in many compounds.”