Jason is a common masculine
given name
A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...
. It comes from
Greek (), meaning "healer", from the verb (), "heal", "cure", cognate with (), "healer", "physician". and (), the goddess of healing, Forms of related words have been attested in Greek from as far back as
Mycenaen (in
Linear B
Linear B is a syllabary, syllabic script that was used for writing in Mycenaean Greek, the earliest Attested language, attested form of the Greek language. The script predates the Greek alphabet by several centuries, the earliest known examp ...
) and
Arcadocypriot (in the
Cypriot syllabary
The Cypriot or Cypriote syllabary (also Classical Cypriot Syllabary) is a syllabary, syllabic script used in Iron Age Cyprus, from about the 11th to the 4th centuries BCE, when it was replaced by the Greek alphabet. It has been suggested that t ...
) Greek: , ''i-ja-te'' and ''i-ja-te-ra-ne'', respectively, both regarded as standing for
inflected
In linguistic Morphology (linguistics), morphology, inflection (less commonly, inflexion) is a process of word formation in which a word is modified to express different grammatical category, grammatical categories such as grammatical tense, ...
forms of , "healer".
The name was borne in
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of ancient Greek folklore, today absorbed alongside Roman mythology into the broader designation of classical mythology. These stories conc ...
by
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...
, the great
Thessalian hero
A hero (feminine: heroine) is a real person or fictional character who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through feats of ingenuity, courage, or Physical strength, strength. The original hero type of classical epics did such thin ...
who led the
Argonauts
The Argonauts ( ; ) were a band of heroes in Greek mythology, who in the years before the Trojan War (around 1300 BC) accompanied Jason to Colchis in his quest to find the Golden Fleece. Their name comes from their ship, ''Argo'', named after it ...
in the quest for the
Golden Fleece. The name is also found in the Bible. The house of a man named
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...
was used as a refuge by the apostle
Paul and
Silas
Silas or Silvanus (; Greek: Σίλας/Σιλουανός; fl. 1st century AD) was a leading member of the Early Christian community, who according to the New Testament accompanied Paul the Apostle on his second missionary journey.
Name and ...
. In his case, it could come as a Hellenized form of
Joshua
Joshua ( ), also known as Yehoshua ( ''Yəhōšuaʿ'', Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yŏhōšuaʿ,'' Literal translation, lit. 'Yahweh is salvation'), Jehoshua, or Josue, functioned as Moses' assistant in the books of Book of Exodus, Exodus and ...
.
The name's adoption in the United Kingdom peaked during the 1970s, when it was among the top 20 male names, but it had fallen out of the top 100 by 2003. Jason is the most common spelling; however, there are many variant spellings such as
Jayson, Jacyn, Jaeson,
Jaison, and Jasen. Common diminutives of Jason are
Jay and
Jace.
A feminine name that sounds similar is
Jacin, derived from the Portuguese-Spanish name
Jacinta
Jacinta is a feminine given name of Spanish language, Spanish and Greek language, Greek origin meaning hyacinth. It is the feminine form of Jacinto (Spanish and Portuguese language, Portuguese), Jácint (Hungarian language, Hungarian) and Jacek, Ja ...
or the Anglicized version
Jacinda, meaning
hyacinth.
Notable people with the name
Historical figures
*
Jason
Jason ( ; ) was an ancient Greek mythological hero and leader of the Argonauts, whose quest for the Golden Fleece is featured in Greek literature. He was the son of Aeson, the rightful king of Iolcos. He was married to the sorceress Med ...
, mythological leader of the Argonauts
*
Jason (high priest) (2nd century BCE), High Priest of Jerusalem
*
Jason the Martyr (3rd century), saint and martyr
*
Jason of Cyrene (circa 100 BCE), Jewish historian
*
Jason of Nysa (circa 100 BCE), Stoic philosopher
*
Jason of Pherae (died 370 BCE), King of Thessaly
*
Jason of Tarsus, saint numbered among the 72 Apostles
*Jason of Tralles (1st century BCE), tragic actor singing the ''Bacchae'' of Euripides when the head of Crassus was brought to the king Orodes II
Plutarch, Crassus, chapter 33
/ref>
Born before 1800
* Giasone del Maino (1435–1519), Italian jurist
* Giason Denores (1530-1590), Italian Renaissance philosopher
* Jason Fairbanks (1780–1801), American murderer
* Jason Haven (1733–1803), American minister
* Jason Pratensis (1486–1558), Dutch neurologist and poet
* Jason Russell (1716–1775), American whose home was the site of a battle in the American Revolutionary War
* Jason Smogorzewski (1717–1779), Bishop of Ruthenia
Born 1800-1900
* Jason W. Briggs (1821–1899), American leader of the Latter Day Saint movement
* Jason B. Parrish (1878–1906), American football player and coach
* Jason Downer (1813–1883), American judge in Wisconsin
* Jason E. Hammond (1862–1957), American educator and politician
*Jay Gould
Jason Gould (; May 27, 1836 – December 2, 1892) was an American railroad magnate and financial speculator who founded the Gould family, Gould business dynasty. He is generally identified as one of the Robber baron (industrialist), robber bar ...
(1836–1892), American railroad magnate
* Jason John Nassau (1893–1965) American Astronomer
* Jason Lee (missionary) (1803–1845), Canadian missionary
* Jason M. Saunderson (1886-1950) American head coach
* Jason Ralph (footballer) (1872–1952), Australian rules footballer
* Jason Robards Sr (1892-1963), American actor
* Jason Rogers (publisher) (1868-1932), American publisher
* Jason Strevell (1832-1903) American lawyer
Born 1900-2000
* Jabba (presenter) (born 1973), Australian actor and TV presenter also known as Jason Davis
* Jason (Spanish footballer) (born 1994), Spanish football player
* Jason Abalos (born 1985), Filipino actor
* Jason Akermanis (born 1977), Australian rules footballer
* Jason Aldean (born 1977), American country singer
* Jason Alexander (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Ankrah (born 1991), American football player
* Jason Bateman (born 1969), American television and film actor
* Jason Baumgartner, American electrical engineer
* Jason Beaulieu (born 1994), Canadian soccer player
* Jason Benjamin (1971–2021), Australian artist
* Jason Berger (1924–2010), American painter
* Jason Bergmann (born 1981), American baseball player
* Jason Bernard (1938–1996), American actor
* Jason Berry (born 1949), American journalist
* Jason Biggs (born 1978), American actor
* Jason Black (musician), American musician
* Jason L Blair, American writer and game designer
* Jason Boe (1929–1990), American politician
* Jason Bohm, U.S marine major general
* Jason Bohn (born 1973), American golfer
*Jason Bond
Jason E. Bond is an American biologist working as a Professor of Entomology and the Schlinger Chair in Insect Systematics at the University of California, Davis.
Education
Bond attended Western Carolina University, earning a Bachelor of Scien ...
, American biologist
* Jason Bonham (born 1966), English drummer, son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham
* Jason Brown (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Brownlee (born 1999), American football player
* Jason Cabinda (born 1996), American football player
* Jason Carter (born 1960) English actor
* Jason Castro (born 1987), American baseball player
* Jason Castro (born 1987), American singer and musician
* Jason Chan, Hong Kong singer
* Jason Charles Miller (born 1972) American musician
* Jason Chorak (born 1974), American football player
* Jason Christopher (born 1971), American musician
* Jason Clark (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Clarke (born 1969), Australian actor
* Jason Clarke (writer) (born 1978), American writer and web developer
* Jason Collier (1977–2005), American basketball player
* Jason Collins (born 1978), American basketball player
*Jason Connery
Jason Joseph Connery (born 11 January 1963) is a British actor and director. He is the son of Sean Connery and Diane Cilento. On screen, he is best known for appearing in the third series of the ITV (TV channel), ITV drama series ''Robin of She ...
(born 1963), English actor
* Jason Conti (1975–2025), American baseball player
* Jason Crowe (born 1978), English footballer
* Jason Crowe (basketball) (born 1976), American basketball player
* Jason Crumb (born 1973), Canadian football player
* Jason Crump (born 1975), Australian motorcycle speedway rider
* Jason Cundy (born 1969), English association footballer and broadcaster
* Jason Danino-Holt (born 1987), Israeli actor and TV presenter
* Jason Dawe (ice hockey) (born 1973), Canadian ice hockey player
* Jason Dawe (presenter) (born 1967), English journalist and TV presenter
* Jason Daly, Westmeath Gaelic footballer
* Jason Day (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Demers (born 1988), Canadian ice hockey player
* Jason Derulo (born 1989), American singer
* Jason Donovan (born 1968), Australian actor and singer
* Jason Dooley (born 1971), American drummer
* Jason Dottley (born 1980) American Actor and Singer
* Jason Dunstall (born 1964), Australian rules footballer
* Jason Dy (born 1990), Filipino singer and songwriter
* Jason Earles (born 1977), American actor and comedian
* Jason Ellis (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Ellsworth, American politician
* Jason Epstein (1928–2022) American editor
* Jason Farradane (1906–1989), British librarian and pioneer in Information science
* Jason Forbach, American actor, singer, playwright and filmmaker
* Jason Forbes (born 1990), British actor, writer, comedian, impressionist, and TV presenter
* Jason Francisco (born 1987), Filipino actor and comedian
* Jason David Frank (1973–2022), American actor and MMA fighter
* Jason Garrett (born 1966), American football coach and player
* Jason Geria (born 1993), Australian football player
* Jason Giambi (born 1971), American professional baseball player
* Jason Gilkison, Australian choreographer and dancer
* Jason Griffith (born 1980), American actor and voice actor
*Jason " Jace" Hall (born 1971), American film, television, and video game producer
* Jason Healey, American researcher and scholar
* Jason Henderson, American comic writer, novelist
* Jason Hickel (born 1982), anthropologist and professor at the Autonomous University of Barcelona
* Jason Holder (born 1991), Barbados and West Indies cricketer
* Jason Holt (born 1993), Scottish footballer
* Jason Holt (businessman) (born 1969), British businessman
* Jason Horton (born 1980), American football player
* Jason Hughes (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Huntley (born 1998), American football player
* Jason Hyland, American former Acting United States Ambassador to Japan
* Jason Todd Ipson (born 1972), American director, screenwriter, producer, fashion photographer and surgeon
* Jason Isaacs (born 1963), English actor
*Jason Kander
Jason David Kander (born May 4, 1981) is an American attorney, author, veteran, and politician. A Democratic Party (United States), Democrat, he served as the 39th Missouri Secretary of State, secretary of state of Missouri, from 2013 to 2017. H ...
(born 1981), American politician
* Jason Kapono (born 1981), American basketball player
* Jason Katims (born 1960), American TV writer
* Jason Kelce (born 1987), American football player
* Jason Keng-Kwin Chan (born 1971), Malaysian-Australian actor
* Jason Kennedy (footballer) (born 1986), English association football player
* Jason Kennedy (TV personality) (born 1981), American television personality
*Jason Kidd
Jason Frederick Kidd (born March 23, 1973) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the List of current NBA head coaches, head coach for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Widely regar ...
(born 1973), American basketball player and coach
* Jason Killeen (born 1985), Irish basketball player
* Jason King (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Kingdon, English entrepreneur
* Jason Knight (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Kouchak, French musician and composer
* Jason C. Kovacic (born 1968), Australian cardiologist
* Jason Kralt (born 1974), Canadian football player
* Jason Lai (born 1974), British orchestral conductor
* Jason Lamar (born 1978), American football player
* Jason Lee (judge) (born 1915-1980), American politician
* Jason Lee (actor) (born 1970), American actor
* Jason Leonard (born 1968), England international rugby union player
* Jason Lewis (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason London (born 1972), American actor
* Jason Lowndes (1994–2017), Australian cyclist
* Jason Lytle (born 1969), American musician
* Jason Maguire (born 1980), Irish horse racing jockey
* Jason Manuel Olazabal (born 1973), American actor
* Jason Marsden (born 1975), American actor
* Jason Martin-Smith (1972–2001), English murder victim
* Jason Marquis (born 1978), American baseball player
* Jason Matheson (born 1974), American television and radio host
* Jason McCartney (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason McGill (born 1966), English football chairman
* Jason McManus (1934–2019) American journalist
* Jason Mewes (born 1974), American actor
* Jason Micklefield, English Biochemist and professor of Chemistry
* Jason Miles (born 1951), American composer
* Jason Mohan (born 1979), English musician and filmmaker
* Jason Molins (born 1974), Irish cricketer
* Jason Momoa (born 1979), American actor
* Jason Moore (disambiguation), multiple people
* W. Jason Morgan (1935-2023), American geophysicist
*Jason Mraz
Jason Thomas Mraz ( ; born June 23, 1977) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He rose to prominence with the release of his debut studio album, ''Waiting for My Rocket to Come'' (2002), which spawned the single "The Remedy (I Won't Wo ...
(born 1977), American singer-songwriter
* Jason Nash (born 1973), American actor, writer, director, comedian, podcaster, YouTuber
* Jason Nemes (born 1978), American politician
* Jason Newsted (born 1963), American bass player, member of the band Metallica
* Jason Nicolle (born 1965), English squash player
* Jason Okundaye (born 1997), British writer
* Jason Orange (born 1970), English musician, member of the band Take That
* Jason Pearce (born 1987), English footballer
* Jason Petta (born 1975), American physicist
* Jason Pinnock (born 1999), American football player
* Jason Presson (born 1971), American actor
* Jason Preston (born 1999), American basketball player
* Jason Priestley (born 1969), Canadian television and film actor
* Jason Reynolds, American novelist
* Jason Richardson (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Ritter (born 1980), American actor, son of actor John Ritter
* Jason Robards (1922–2000), American actor
* Jason Rosenfield (born 1945), American film director and editor
* Jason Roy (born 1990), English cricket player
* Jason Sagle, Canadian quarter-professional poker player fourth in Main Event 2024
*Jason Sanders
Jason Thomas Sanders (born November 16, 1995) is an American professional football kicker for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the New Mexico Lobos.
Early life
Sanders attended and play ...
(born 1995), American football player
* Jason Sangha, Australian-Indian cricket player
* Jason Sapan (born 1950), American holographer
* Jason Scheff (born 1962), American musician, member of the band Chicago
* Jason Schmidt (born 1973), American baseball player
* Jason Schmidt (photographer) (born 1969), American photographer
* Jason Schwartzman (born 1980), American actor and musician
* Jason Scott (born 1970), American archivist and historian of technology
* Jason Scott (rower) (born 1970), American Olympic rower
* Jason Scott Lee (born 1966), Asian-American actor
* Jason Seife (born 1989), American visual artist and painter
* Jason Segel (born 1980), American television actor
* Jason Sherlock (born 1976), Dublin Gaelic footballer
* Jason Siggers (born 1985), American basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
* Jason Smith (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Spencer (born 1974), American politician and physician assistant
* Jason Spezza (born 1983), Canadian ice hockey player
* Jason Statham (born 1967), English actor
* Jason Steffen (born 1975), American Astrophysicist
* Jason Strowbridge (born 1996), American football player
* Jason Stuart (born 1969), American actor and comedian
* Jason Sudeikis (born 1975), American actor and comedian
* Jason Richard Swallen (1903–1991), American botanist
* Jason Tarry (born 1966/67), British retail executive
* Jason Taylor (disambiguation), multiple people
*Jason Terry
Jason Eugene Terry (born September 15, 1977) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played 19 seasons in the NBA as a combo guar ...
(born 1977), American basketball player
* Jason Van Hollander (born 1949), American illustrator
* Jason Vargas (born 1983), American baseball pitcher
* Jason Varitek (born 1972), American baseball catcher
* Jason Verduzco (born 1970), American football player
* Jason Wade (born 1980), American musician, member of the band Lifehouse
* Jason Walter Brown (born 1938), American neurologist
* Jason Walters (born 1985), Dutchman sentenced to prison for Islamic terrorism
* Jason Washington (born 1979), American football coach
* Jason Watkins (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Watson (footballer) (born 1991), Jamaican footballer
* Jason Westrol (born 1988), American basketball player
* Jason Whitaker (born 1977), American football player
* Jason White (disambiguation), multiple people
* Jason Williams (basketball, born 1975) (born 1975), American NBA basketball player
* Jason Williams (basketball, born 1983) (born 1983), American international basketball player
* Jason Wilsher-Mills (born 1969) English artist
* Jason Wingreen (1920–2015), American actor
* Jason Winston George (born 1972), American actor
* Jason Wright (born 1982), American football player, businessman, and executive
* Jason F. Wright (born 1971), American author and speaker
* Jason Young (born 1980), Thai actor and singer
* Jason Yuan (born 1942), Taiwanese politician and diplomat
* Jason Zimmerman (born 1989), American professional Esport''s'' player, known as 'Mew2King'
* Jason Zucker (born 1992), American ice hockey player
* Jason Ofori (born 1993), Ghanaian Tech wizard
Born after 2000
* Jason Drucker (born 2005), American child actor
* Jason Henderson (American football), (born 2001), American football player
* Jason Ng (born 2000), triathlete from Hong Kong
* Jason Watson (jockey) (born 2000), English jockey
* Jason Zandamela (born 2005), Mozambican-born American football player
Animals
* Jason, a cat on the BBC series '' Blue Peter''
Fictional characters
* Jason, portrayed by Kurt Dykhuizen in ''Barney & Friends
''Barney & Friends'' is an American children's television series created by Sheryl Leach targeted at children ages two to five. The flagship production of the ''Barney'' franchise, it originally aired on PBS under the PBS Kids brand from Ap ...
''
* Jason, portrayed by Salim Grant in '' Barney and the Backyard Gang''
* Jason, an antagonist in the animated series '' Craig of the Creek''
* Jason, a child in the Broadway show, '' Falsettos''
* Jason, the protagonist of the cartoon web-series '' An Egg's Guide to Minecraft'' and supporting character in ''The Crack!''
* Jason, Wonder Woman
Wonder Woman is a superheroine who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in ''All Star Comics'' Introducing Wonder Woman, #8, published October 21, 1941, with her first feature in ''Sensation Comic ...
's evil twin brother in the DC Rebirth era
* Jason the Bodyguard, played by Nathaniel Martin Thomas in the web-series '' Corner Shop Show''
* Jason Blood, aka Etrigan, a DC Comics character
* Jason Blossom, the twin brother of Cheryl Blossom in '' Archie Comics'' and ABC TV show '' Riverdale''
* Jason Brody, protagonist in the game '' Far Cry 3''
* Jason Bourne, protagonist of Robert Ludlum's novels and their film adaptations
* Jason Carver, an antagonist from ''Stranger Things
''Stranger Things'' is an American television series created by the Duffer brothers, Duffer Brothers for Netflix. Produced by Monkey Massacre Productions and 21 Laps Entertainment, the Stranger Things season 1, first season was released on N ...
''
* Jason Costello, a character in ''Hollyoaks''
* Jason Cramer, character on the HBO drama ''Oz''
* Jason Cross, from '' High School Musical''
* Jason "J.D." Dean, the main antagonist in the 1988 film '' Heathers''
* Jason Duval, one of two playable protagonists in '' Grand Theft Auto VI''
* Jason Evans, a character in the 2004 disaster film '' The Day After Tomorrow''
* Jason Fox, from the comic strip ''FoxTrot
The foxtrot is a smooth, progressive dance characterized by long, continuous flowing movements across the dance floor. It is danced to big band (usually vocal) music. The dance is similar in its look to waltz, although the rhythm is in a time ...
''
* Jason "Jay" Garrick, the first Flash from DC Comics
* Jason Gideon, from '' Criminal Minds''
* Jason Grace, a son of Jupiter and one of the main characters in Rick Riordan's '' The Heroes of Olympus'' novels
* Jason Grimshaw, from the soap opera ''Coronation Street''
* Jason Hogart, from '' Degrassi: The Next Generation''
* Jason Hyde, from The Astounding Jason Hyde
* Jason King, a fictional character played by actor Peter Wyngarde in the TV series '' Department S'' and '' Jason King''
*Jason Malone, main protagonist of '' Gangstar Vegas''
* Jason Mars, one of the main character's sons from '' Heavy Rain''
* Jason Mendoza, a principal character in the NBC series '' The Good Place''
* Jason Morgan from ''General Hospital''
* Jason Pembroke, a character in the American sitcom '' Charles in Charge''
* Jason Lee Scott, the first Red Ranger and later the Golden Ranger in the ''Power Rangers'' franchise
* Jason Rudd, a character in Agatha Christie's 1962 novel, '' The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side''
* Jason Rusch, the second Firestorm from DC Comics
* Dr. Jason Roland Seaver, a character in the American television sitcom '' Growing Pains''
* Jason Stackhouse, in ''The Southern Vampire Mysteries'' series by Charlaine Harris
* Jason Stentley (known better by nickname C.J. for "Captain Jason"), a police captain in the show ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine
''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'' is an American police procedural sitcom television series that aired on Fox Broadcasting Company, Fox, and later on NBC, from September 17, 2013, to September 16, 2021, for eight seasons and 153 episodes. Created by Dan G ...
''
* Jason Street, on the TV series ''Friday Night Lights''
* Jason Todd
Jason Peter Todd is a character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. First appearing in ''Batman (comic book), Batman'' #357 in March 1983, he was created to succeed Dick Grayson as Robin (character), Robin, Batman's partner ...
, the second Robin in Batman comics, later revived as Red Hood
* Jason Voorhees, main antagonist of the ''Friday the 13th'' horror film franchise, first appearing in 1980
* Jason White, a fictional character from the 2006 film ''Superman Returns''
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Jason
English-language masculine given names
English masculine given names
Given names
Given names of Greek language origin
Masculine given names