Unisex
Hebrew
2 syllables
Jordan
JOR-dun
/ˈdʒɔːr.dən/
"To flow down" — the river of baptism turned a champion's name
Jordan derives from the Hebrew Yarden meaning to flow down or to descend, referring to the Jordan River — one of the most sacred waterways in the world, where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. As a given name, Jordan was originally reserved as a baptismal name by crusaders who brought back holy water. It became a genuinely popular unisex name in the 1990s, partly because of basketball legend Michael Jordan.
Quick Facts
Letters6
SyllablesJor · dan
GenderUnisex
OriginHebrew
Root WordYarden
MeaningTo flow down, descend
PopularityPopular
Peak Year1999
Trend
→ Stable
Nicknames
JordieJoJord
About the Name Jordan
Jordan means to flow down or descend, from the Hebrew Yarden — the name of the Jordan River. The river flows south from Mount Hermon into the Dead Sea.
Jordan is genuinely unisex. It was predominantly a boy's name in the 1980s-90s, became popular for girls in the late 1990s, and is now one of the most balanced unisex names in American culture.
The Jordan River is sacred to Christians as the site where John the Baptist baptized Jesus. It also features prominently in the Old Testament as the boundary of the Promised Land.
Some parents named their children Jordan in the 1980s-90s partly in honor of Michael Jordan, but the name has independent ancient historical roots going back to the Jordan River.
Jordan James, Jordan Michael, Jordan Lee, and Jordan Alexander work for boys; Jordan Marie, Jordan Nicole, and Jordan Grace work for girls.
Jordans are often described as confident, competitive, and charismatic — the Michael Jordan association reinforces an image of excellence and drive.
Personality of Jordan
Perceived character traits commonly associated with people named Jordan
Creativity
76%
Elegance
76%
Independence
82%
Intelligence
80%
Strength
84%
Warmth
78%
Famous People Named Jordan
M
Michael Jordan
American basketball player, widely considered the greatest of all time
J
Jordan Peele
American filmmaker, Get Out and Us
J
Jordan (river)
Sacred river in the Middle East where Jesus was baptized
Middle Names for Jordan
Beautiful combinations that flow well with Jordan
Jordan James
Jordan Michael
Jordan Lee
Jordan Thomas
Jordan Alexander
Jordan Marie
Jordan Nicole
Jordan Grace
Jordan Renee
Jordan Lynn
Names Similar to Jordan
Similar Sound
Similar Meaning
Sibling Name Ideas
History of Jordan
30 AD
John the Baptist baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River, making it sacred to Christians
1200
Crusaders bring back Jordan River water; Jordan used as a baptismal name
1984
Michael Jordan joins the Chicago Bulls and begins redefining basketball
1999
Jordan reaches peak US popularity, one of the most popular unisex names of the decade
Numerology & Symbolism of Jordan
8
Destiny Number
Sum of all letters
7
Soul Urge
Sum of vowels
♍
Zodiac Affinity
Libra
6
Lucky Number
Personal power digit
🎨
Lucky Color
River Blue
💎
Lucky Stone
Aquamarine
🌸
Lucky Flower
Water Lily
Jordan Around the World
How Jordan is written in different languages and scripts
جوردان
Arabic
ジョーダン
Japanese
Джордан
Russian
조던
Korean
乔丹
Chinese
Ιορδάνης
Greek
जॉर्डन
Hindi
יַרְדֵּן
Hebrew
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