Though many puppies find themselves named the typical Rex or Buster, some owners enjoy a bit more spice. From their imaginations has sprung an option that is quickly gaining traction, having hit the top 100 charts in only 2009. The name? Jax. While it might sound more like an abbreviation for a southern city, it actually has roots further back than you would have guessed.
Jax has slowly been replacing Jackson. As a shortened version of the name, it’s officially now more popular than its longer-to-say counterpart as the preferred choice for dog owners everywhere. But where does Jackson come from?
Jackson is a well-known surname most popular in people of Scottish and English origin. As was common with old timey last names, it denoted who you were. In this case, Jack’s son, and it remains one of the most popular surnames across the Western world. As for Jack, this name is a shortened version of Jackin (or Jankin, to some) which was a pet name given to those named John. If that sounds confusing, just think of how we nickname people called William or Richard. Bill and Dick are hardly one-to-one matches.
During the medieval time period when Jack reigned as the most popular name, it eventually became a slang term meaning “man”. Hence why so many fairy tales and nursery rhymes star an infamous Jack. They’re merely about a general man and his troubles with beanstalks and not being able to eat fat.
