Jay (or Jai) is a masculine given name that can also be used as a unisex name or a nickname. It has multiple origins and meanings, commonly associated with intelligence, cheerfulness and victory. The name is often used on its own or as a shortened form of longer names. The spelling 'Jai' is common in South Asia. In English, Jay is derived from the name of the jaybird, a colorful and intelligent bird known for its lively nature. The name became popular in English-speaking countries during the 19th and 20th centuries, often symbolizing quick thinking, playfulness, and individuality. It may also have roots in

Old French Old French (, , ; ) was the language spoken in most of the northern half of France approximately between the late 8th [2-4; we might wonder whether there's a point at which it's appropriate to talk of the beginnings of French, that is, when it wa ...

from the name Gai, meaning "joyful" or "cheerful".Hanks, Patrick (2006). *Dictionary of First Names.* Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-861060-1.U.S. Social Security Administration. "Popular Baby Names by Decade.
SSA.gov
Retrieved 2025-02-02.Oxford University Press. "Jay – Meaning and Origin of the Name.
OxfordReference.com
Retrieved 2025-02-02. In the United States, the name experienced its first surge in popularity due to John Jay, one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. In Sanskrit, Jay or Jai means "victory" or "triumph" and is commonly used in Indian culture. It is often associated with success, strength, and overcoming challenges. The name has historical significance in Hinduism and Indian traditions, where it appears in religious texts and is used in names such as Jayendra and Jayant.

Sports

Jay Adams Jay J. Adams (February 3, 1961 – August 15, 2014) was an American skateboarding, skateboarder. As a teen, he was the youngest member of the Zephyr Competition Skateboarding Team (Z-Boys). His spontaneous freestyle skateboarding style, inspire ...

(1961–2014), American skateboarder *

Jay Ajayi Jay Ajayi (born 15 June 1993) is an English-born former professional American football running back who played in the National Football League (NFL) for five seasons with the Miami Dolphins and Philadelphia Eagles. He played college football at ...

(born 1993), English-American NFL football player * Jay Barnett (born 2001), Australian association football player * Jay Beagle (born 1985), Canadian ice hockey player *

Jay Berger Jay Berger (born November 26, 1966) is an American former professional tennis player. He won three singles and one doubles title on the ATP Tour and reached his career-high singles ranking of World No. 7 in April 1990. Early and personal life ...

(born 1966), American tennis player * Jay Bothroyd (born 1982), English football player * Jay Bouwmeester (born 1983), Canadian hockey player *

Jay Briscoe Jamin Dale Pugh (January 25, 1984 – January 17, 2023), known by his ring name Jay Briscoe, was an American professional wrestler. He was known for his time with his brother Mark Briscoe as the Briscoe Brothers in Ring of Honor, where he was ...

(1984–2023), American professional wrestler *

Jay Bruce Jay Allen Bruce (born April 3, 1987) is an American former professional baseball right fielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Mets, Cleveland Indians, Seattle Mariners, Philadelphia Phillies and New Y ...

(born 1987), Major League Baseball player, three-time All-Star *

Jay Cutler Jay Christopher Cutler (born April 29, 1983) is an American former professional American football, football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 12 seasons. A member of the Chicago Bears for most of his career, he is ...

(born 1983), American football player *

Jay Cutler (bodybuilder) Jason Isaac Cutler (born August 3, 1973), known professionally as Jay Cutler, is an American former professional bodybuilder. An International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness Professional League, IFBB Pro League bodybuilder, Cutler is ...

(born 1971), American bodybuilder *

Jay Dahlgren Judith "Jay" Dahlgren (born December 7, 1948, in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a retired javelin thrower from Canada, who represented her native country at the 1968 Summer Olympics. She claimed the bronze medal in the women's javelin throw even ...

(born 1948), Canadian javelin thrower *

Jay DeMerit Jay Michael DeMerit (born December 4, 1979) is an American former soccer player who played as a center back. He played college soccer for the UIC Flames and was in the Chicago Fire Premier development squad, but after not being drafted for M ...

(born 1979), American soccer player * Jay Devilliers (born 1994), French professional pickleball player * Jay Emmanuel-Thomas (born 1990), English footballer *

Jay Faatz Jayson S. Faatz (October 24, 1860 – April 10, 1923) was an American Major League Baseball player born in Weedsport, New York, who played at first base for three teams during his four-season career. Career After his season, he returned to ...

(1860–1923), American baseball player *

Jay Fiedler Jay Brian Fiedler (born December 29, 1971) is an American former professional football player who was a quarterback in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Dartmouth Big Green. He played 76 games at quarterback ...

(born 1971), American NFL football quarterback *

Jay Haas Jay Dean Haas (born December 2, 1953) is an American professional golfer formerly of the PGA Tour who now plays on the PGA Tour Champions. Early life and amateur career Haas was born in St. Louis, Missouri, and grew up in Belleville, Illinois ...

(born 1953), American golfer * Jay Higgins (born 2002), American football player * Jay Horwitz (born 1945), American executive for the New York Mets * Jay Idzes (born 2000), Dutch footballer * Jay Jones (born 1974), American football player *

Jay Lethal Jamar Shipman (born April 29, 1985), better known by the ring name Jay Lethal, is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his tenures in Ring of Honor (ROH), Total Nonstop Action Wrest ...

(born 1985), American professional wrestler * Jay McDonagh (born 1973), American football player *

Jay McKee Jay McKee (born September 8, 1977) is a Canadian coach and former professional ice hockey defenceman. He last played for the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL), and was previously with the Buffalo Sabres and the St. Louis B ...

(born 1977), Canadian ice hockey player * Jay Monahan (born 1971), PGA Tour commissioner * Jay Moriarity (1978–2001), American big wave surfer *

Jay Novacek Jay McKinley Novacek (born October 24, 1962) is an American former professional football player who was a tight end in the National Football League (NFL) for the St. Louis / Phoenix Cardinals (1985–1989) and the Dallas Cowboys (1990–1995 ...

(born 1962), American football player * Jay-Jay Okocha (born 1973), Nigerian footballer *

Jay O'Shea James O'Shea (born 10 August 1988) is an Irish professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for club Brisbane Roar. While he is primarily an attacking midfielder, he can also operate as a winger and striker. O'Shea began his ...

(born 1988), Irish footballer * Jay Scrubb (born 2000), American basketball player * Jay Sigel (1943–2025), American golfer * Jay Toia (born 2003), American football player * Jay Tufele (born 1999), American football player *

Jay Wheeldon Jonathan "Jay" Wheeldon (born 28 August 1988) is an English football coach and former player who serves as assistant coach of Cavalry FC. Career Early career After spending many of his youth years with English academies Exeter City and Plymou ...

(born 1989), English footballer

Music

* Jay Aston (born 1961), English singer * Jay Azzolina (born 1952), American guitarist *

Jay Bennett Jay Walter Bennett (November 15, 1963 – May 24, 2009) was an American multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the band Wilco from 1994 to 2001. Biography Early life and work with Wilco Jay ...

(1963–2009), American musician *

Jay Bentley Jayson Dee Bentley (born June 6, 1964) is the bassist and co-founding member of the punk rock group Bad Religion. He has played with the band through its whole existence with a small break between 1983 and 1985. Along with vocalist Greg Graffin, ...

(born 1964), American musician *

Jay Chou Jay Chou Chieh-lun ( zh, s=周杰伦, t=周杰倫, first=t, p=Zhōu Jiélún; born 18 January 1979) is a Taiwanese singer-songwriter, actor, director, and businessman. Regarded as one of the most influential artists in the Chinese-speaking worl ...

(born 1979), Taiwanese musician * Jay Cloidt (born 1949), American composer and audio engineer *

Jay Dee Daugherty Jay Dee Daugherty (born March 22, 1952) is an American drummer and songwriter most known for his work with Patti Smith. As a member of the Patti Smith Group, he has been nominated twice to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Biography Moving to Ne ...

(born 1952), American drummer *

Jay Ferguson (American musician) John Arden "Jay" Ferguson (born May 10, 1947) is an American rock and pop musician known for his work with the bands Spirit and Jo Jo Gunne, and his 1978 solo hit " Thunder Island". His later career has been as a composer of music for telev ...

(born 1947) * Jay Ferguson (Canadian musician) (born 1968) * Jay Fung (born 1988), Hong Kong-Canadian singer-songwriter * Jay Greenberg (composer) (born 1991), American composer * James "Jay" Huguely (1940–2008), American actor, recording artist known as Cledus Maggard & the Citizen's Band *

Jay Kay Jason "Jay" Kay (born Jason Luís Cheetham, 30 December 1969) is a British singer and songwriter. In 1992, he co-founded the acid jazz and funk band Jamiroquai and still serves as their lead vocalist. As of 2017, the band had sold more than 26 ...

(born 1969), British musician and frontman of British band Jamiroquai *

Jay Lane Jay Lane (born December 5, 1964) is an American musician. He is a founding member of Bob Weir's RatDog, with Weir and Rob Wasserman, Wolf Bros, Furthur, Golden Gate Wingmen, Dead & Company and Alphabet Soup. He was the 5th and then later the 8 ...

(born 1964), American musician *

Jay Livingston Jay Livingston (born Jacob Harold Levison; March 28, 1915 – October 17, 2001) was an American composer best known as half of a composing-songwriting duo with Ray Evans, with whom he specialized in composing film scores and original soundtrack ...

(1915–2001), American composer *

Jay Osmond Jay Wesley Osmond (born March 2, 1955) is an American musician. He is a member of the Osmond family of performers. He wrote the story to the 2022 musical ''The Osmonds'', a musical based on the life and music of the family. The musical was shown ...

(born 1955), American musician *

Jay Park Jay Park (born April 25, 1987), Korean name Park Jae-beom (), is an American rapper, singer-songwriter and dancer based in South Korea. He is a member of the Seattle-based breakdancing, b-boy crew Art of Movement (AOM), and founder and former ...

(born 1987), Korean American b-boy and singer (Ex- 2PM member) *Jay Park (born 2002), Korean American singer, member of the group

ENHYPEN Enhypen (; ; stylized in all caps) is a South Korean boy band formed by Belift Lab. Formerly a joint venture between CJ ENM and Hybe Corporation, the group was formed through the 2020 survival competition show '' I-Land''. The group consists ...

Jay Reatard James Lee Lindsey Jr. (May 1, 1980 – January 13, 2010), known professionally as Jay Reatard, was an American musician from Memphis, Tennessee. He was signed to Matador Records. He released recordings as a solo artist and as a member of the Rea ...

(1980–2010), American musician *

Jay Sean Kamaljit Singh Jhooti (born 26 March 1981), known professionally as Jay Sean, is a British singer and songwriter. He debuted in the UK's Asian Underground scene as a member of the Rishi Rich Project with " Dance with You", which reached No. ...

(born 1979), British musician * John Jay Traynor (1943–2014), American singer, member of the group Jay and the Americans *

Jay Weinberg Jay Bradley Weinberg (born September 8, 1990) is an American musician who is best-known as the former drummer of the nu metal band Slipknot. He is the son of longtime Bruce Springsteen drummer Max Weinberg. He played with the punk rock band the ...

(born 1990), American drummer * Jay Wilbur (1898–1970), British bandleader *

Jay Alan Yim Jay Alan Yim (born April 24, 1958) is an American composer of Chinese descent and recipient of a 1994 Guggenheim Fellowship. Early life and education Yim was born into a Chinese family in St. Louis, Missouri on April 24, 1958. He attended the U ...

(born 1958), American composer *

Jay Yuenger Jay Noel Yuenger also known by the stage name "J.", is an American rock guitarist best known for his work with heavy metal band White Zombie. Career As a teenager, Yuenger's interests quickly progressed from pop to hard rock to hardcore pu ...

(born 1966), American guitarist * Jay Zeffin, English musician, composer *

Jay Ziskrout Jay Ziskrout (born September 8, 1962) was the first drummer for Bad Religion, forming the group with schoolmate Brett Gurewitz in 1980. Ziskrout performed on Bad Religion's self-titled EP and half on their debut album ''How Could Hell Be Any Wor ...

(born 1962), American drummer

Television and film

Jay Abdo Jay Abdo (; born Jihad Abdo or Jihad Abdou; October 21, 1962) is a Syrian actor. He has been acting since 1988, and most recently starred in '' Queen of the Desert'' and '' A Hologram for the King''. Early life Abdo was born in Damascus. He tra ...

(born 1962), Syrian actor * Jay Baruchel (born 1982), Canadian actor *

Jay Bhanushali Jay Bhanushali (born 25 December 1984) is an Indian television actor. He is best known for playing Neev Shergill in Ekta Kapoor's show '' Kayamath'' and winning '' Nach Baliye 5''. He also participated in '' Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa 2'', '' Kaun Jeet ...

(born 1984), Indian actor *

Jay Brazeau Jay Brazeau is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Sam Fisher in '' Cold Squad'', Harlan in ''Stargate SG-1'' (1998, 2001), and for voicing Uncle Quigley in '' Sabrina: The Animated Series''. He is also known for his role as Bobby in ''D ...

(born 1953), Canadian actor *

Jay Chandrasekhar Jayanth Jambulingam Chandrasekhar (born April 9, 1968) is an American comedian, film director, screenwriter, actor and editor. He is best known for his work with the sketch comedy group Broken Lizard and for directing and starring in the Broken ...

(born 1968), American director *

Jay Faerber Jay Faerber (; born 1972) is an American comic book and television writer. Faerber is known for his work on ''Generation X'' and ''New Warriors'' for Marvel Comics, and '' The Titans'' and '' Connor: Spotlight'' for DC Comics. He later wrote his o ...

(born 1972), American comic and television writer * Jay R. Ferguson (born 1974), American actor * Jay Gallentine (born 1970), American filmmaker and historian *

Jay Harrington James H. Harrington III, professionally known as Jay Harrington, (born November 15, 1971) is an American actor and director. He is known for his role as the title character in the ABC sitcom '' Better Off Ted'' in 2009–2010, and from 2017 to 2 ...

(born 1971), American actor *

Jay Hayden Jonathan Hayden is an American actor. He is best known for his work in the ABC comedy-drama series '' The Catch'' (2016–17) and the ''Grey's Anatomy'' spinoff '' Station 19'', both produced by Shondaland. He also has a recurring role in '' Cr ...

(born 1987), American actor *

Jay Hernandez Javier Manuel "Jay" Hernandez (born February 20, 1978) is an American actor. After making his television debut in NBC's '' Hang Time'', he made his film debut opposite Kirsten Dunst in the romantic drama '' Crazy/Beautiful'' (2001). He has sin ...

(born 1978), American actor *

Jay Howell (illustrator) Jason "Jay" Howell (born 1979) is an American illustrator, cartoonist, and character designer. He has also worked as a commercial artist, muralist, and tattoo artist. Howell was a co-creator and animator on the Nickelodeon TV series ''Sanjay and ...

(born 1979), American illustrator, animator, cartoonist, and artist * Jay Ilagan (1953–1992), Filipino actor *

Jay Karnes Jay Karnes (born June 27, 1963) is an American actor, best known for his role as LAPD detective Holland "Dutch" Wagenbach on the FX television series ''The Shield'', Agent Josh Kohn on ''Sons of Anarchy'' (2008), and Craig on '' The Crossing'' ...

(born 1963), American actor *

Jay Laga'aia Jay Laga'aia (born 10 September 1963) is a New Zealand-Australian actor and singer. He is known internationally for his role as Gregar Typho, Captain Typho in the films ''Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones'' and ''Star Wars: Episode ...

(born 1963), New Zealand actor *

Jay Leno James Douglas Muir Leno ( ; born April 28, 1950) is an American television host, comedian, and writer. After doing stand-up comedy for years, he became the host of NBC's ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Tonight Show'' from 1992 until 200 ...

(born 1950), American comedian and talk-show host * Jay McCarroll (born 1974), American fashion designer *

Jay Mohr Jon Ferguson "Jay" Mohr (born August 23, 1970) is an American actor, stand-up comedian and radio host. He is known for playing film producer Peter Dragon in the television comedy series '' Action'' in 1999, Professor Rick Payne in the television ...

(born 1970), American actor *

Jay North Jay Waverly North Jr. (August 3, 1951 – April 6, 2025) was an American actor. His career as a child actor began in the late 1950s, and he went on to appear in eight TV series, two variety shows and three feature films. At age 7, he became a h ...

(1951–2025), American actor * Jay Odjick, Algonquin artist, writer, and television producer * Jay Purvis (born 1976), Canadian carpenter and television presenter *

Jay Roach Mathew Jay Roach (born June 14, 1957) is an American filmmaker. He is best known for directing the Austin Powers (film series), ''Austin Powers'' film series, ''Meet the Parents'', ''Dinner for Schmucks'', ''The Campaign (film), The Campaign'', ...

(born 1957), American director *

Jay Ryan (actor) Jay Ryan (born Jay Bunyan; 29 August 1981) is a New Zealand actor. He is best known for his roles as Jack Scully in ''Neighbours'' (2002–2005), Seaman Billy 'Spider' Webb in ''Sea Patrol (TV series), Sea Patrol'' (2007–2009), Kevin in ''Go ...

(born 1981), New Zealand actor *

Jay Silverheels Jay Silverheels (born Harold Jay Smith; May 26, 1912 – March 5, 1980) was a First Nations in Canada, First Nations and Mohawk people, Mohawk actor and athlete, descended from three Iroquois nations. He was well known for his role as Tonto, the ...

(1912–1980), Canadian actor * Jay Thomas (1948–2017), American actor and talk-show host *

Jay Underwood Jay Underwood (born October 1, 1968) is an American actor and pastor. Beginning a prolific career as a teen actor in the mid-1980s, he is perhaps best known for his starring feature film roles; portraying Eric Gibb in '' The Boy Who Could Fly'', ...

(born 1968), American actor and pastor *

Jay Wolpert Jay Sheldon Wolpert (January 29, 1942 – January 3, 2022) was an American television producer and screenwriter. Early life Wolpert was born in The Bronx, New York City. Career Early career His first television appearance came as a contestant ...

, American television producer and screenwriter

Politics

* Jay C. Block (born 1970), American politician * Jay DeBoyer, American politician *

Jay Hammond Jay Sterner Hammond (July 21, 1922 – August 2, 2005) was an American politician of the Republican Party, who served as the fourth governor of Alaska from 1974 to 1982. Hammond was born in Troy, New York and served as a Marine Corps fighter pi ...

(1922–2005), American politician and state governor *

Jay Inslee Jay Robert Inslee ( ; born February 9, 1951) is an American politician and lawyer who served from 2013 to 2025 as the 23rd governor of Washington. A member of the Democratic Party, he served from 1993 to 1995 and again from 1999 to 2012 as a ...

(born 1951), American politician * Jay Jalisi (born 1965), American politician *

Jay Nixon Jeremiah Wilson "Jay" Nixon (born February 13, 1956) is an American lawyer and politician who served as the List of governors of Missouri, 55th governor of Missouri from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...

(born 1956), American politician *

Jay Obernolte Jay Phillip Obernolte ( ; born August 18, 1970) is an American politician and businessman serving as the U.S. representative for since 2021, when it was numbered as the 8th district. A Republican, he was previously a member of the California St ...

(born 1970), American politician, businessman, and video game developer *

Jay Rockefeller John Davison "Jay" Rockefeller IV (born June 18, 1937) is an American retired politician who served as a United States senator from West Virginia (1985–2015). He was first elected to the Senate in 1984, while in office as governor of West Vir ...

(born 1937), American politician * Jay P. Rolison Jr. (1929–2007), New York politician * Jay H. Upton (1879–1938), American politician and attorney *

Jay Weatherill Jay Wilson Weatherill (born 3 April 1964) is an Australian former politician who was the 45th premier of South Australia, serving from 21 October 2011 until 19 March 2018. Weatherill represented the South Australian House of Assembly, House of ...

(born 1964), Australian politician * Jay Wolfe (born 1955), American businessman and politician

Other professions

* Jay Adair (born 1969/1970), American businessman, CEO of Copart * Jay Armes (born 1932), American amputee, actor, and private investigator *

Jay Bhattacharya Jayanta Bhattacharya (born 1968) is an American physician-scientist and health economist who has served as the 18th Director of the National Institutes of Health since 2025. Bhattacharya was a professor of medicine, economics, and health resear ...

(born 1968), Indian professor * Jay Boersma (born 1947), American fine art and documentary photographer *

Jay Bybee Jay Scott Bybee (born October 27, 1953) is an American lawyer and jurist serving as a senior U.S. circuit judge of the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. He has published numerous articles in law journals and has taught as a senior fellow ...

(born 1953), American judge *

Jay Chaudhry Jay Chaudhry (born August 26, 1958) is an Indian-American technology entrepreneur and the CEO and founder of cloud security company Zscaler. Early life and education Chaudhry was born in Panoh, a village in the Una district of Punjab (now Hima ...

(born 1958/1959), American billionaire, CEO and founder of Zscaler * Jay Chevalier (1936–2019), American singer and songwriter * Jay Chiat (1931–2002), American advertising designer *

Jay Cooke Jay Cooke (August 10, 1821 – February 16, 1905) was an American financier who helped finance the Union war effort during the American Civil War and the postwar development of railroads in the northwestern United States. He is generally acknowle ...

(1821–1905), American financier * Jay Fox (1870–1961), American journalist, trade unionist, and political activist * Jay Garner (born 1938), American retired US Army lieutenant general and business executive * Jay Gillenwater (born 1933), American professor *

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 financier * Jay Greenberg (psychoanalyst) (born 1942), American psychoanalyst and psychologist * Jay Gunter (1911–1994), American pathologist and amateur astronomer * Jay Jasanoff (born 1942), American linguist *

Jay Kordich John Steven "Jay" Kordich (August 26, 1923 – May 27, 2017) was an American author and advocate of juicing and juice fasting. Kordich was best known as the "Juiceman" and the "Father of Juicing" in the United States. Biography Kordich played co ...

(1923–2017), American author and juice fasting advocate * Jay McCallum (born 1960), justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court *

Jay McInerney John Barrett "Jay" McInerney Jr. (; born January 13, 1955) is an American novelist, screenwriter, editor, and columnist. His novels include '' Bright Lights, Big City'', ''Ransom'', '' Story of My Life'', '' Brightness Falls'', and ''The Last o ...

(born 1955), American writer *

Jay Miner Jay Glenn Miner (May 31, 1932 – June 20, 1994) was an American integrated circuit designer, known primarily for developing graphics and audio chips for the Atari 2600 and Atari 8-bit computers and as the "father of the Amiga". Early life ...

(1932–1994), American computer pioneer *

Jay Nordlinger Jay Nordlinger (born November 21, 1963) is an American journalist. He is a former senior editor of ''National Review'', and a book fellow of the National Review Institute. He is also a music critic for '' The New Criterion'' and ''The Conservati ...

(born 1963), American journalist * Jay Ohrberg, American car collector and customizer *

Jay Penske Jay Penske (born May 5, 1979) is an American businessman best known for creating the media company Penske Media Corporation. Early life and education Born in New York City, New York, Penske is the youngest son of Kathy, an English school teac ...

, American media entrepreneur *

Jay Pritzker Jay Arthur Pritzker (August 26, 1922 – January 23, 1999) was an American businessman and member of the Pritzker family. He was a founder of the Hyatt Corporation, having purchased the first Hyatt Hotel in 1957, and was responsible for ...

(1922–1999), American businessman * Jay Raymond (born 1962), American general * Jay Rosen (born 1956), American writer *

Jay Sekulow Jay Alan Sekulow (; born June 10, 1956) is an American lawyer, radio, television talk show host and politically conservative media personality. He has been chief counsel of the American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) since 1991. As a member of P ...

(born 1956), American lawyer * Jay Severin (1951–2020), American radio talk show host *

Jay Ulfelder Jay Ulfelder is an American political scientist who is best known for his work on political forecasting, specifically on anticipating various forms of political instability around the world. From 2001 to 2010, he served as research director of the ...

, American political scientist * Jay Walljasper (1955/56–2020), American writer, editor, speaker, and community consultant * Jay Wynne (born 1968), American weather forecaster * Jay Xu (born 1963) Chinese-born American museum director, art historian, curator * Jay Zeamer Jr. (1918–2007), American aeronautical engineer, pilot, and WWII veteran

Fictional characters

*Jay, a character in the 2005 American romantic comedy movie ''

The 40-Year-Old Virgin ''The 40-Year-Old Virgin'' is a 2005 American romantic comedy film directed by Judd Apatow (in his feature directorial debut), who produced the film with Clayton Townsend and Shauna Robertson. It features Steve Carell as the titular 40-y ...

'' * Jay Cartwright, in the television series ''The Inbetweeners'' *

Jay Garrick Jason Peter "Jay" Garrick is a superhero appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. He is the first character known as the Flash. The character first appeared in ''Flash Comics'' #1 (January 1940), created by writer Gardner Fox and ...

, in the DC Comics universe *

Jay Gatsby Jay Gatsby () (originally named James Gatz) is the titular fictional character of F. Scott Fitzgerald's 1925 novel ''The Great Gatsby''. The character is an enigmatic ''nouveau riche'' millionaire who lives in a Long Island mansion where he oft ...

, in the 1925 novel ''The Great Gatsby'' by F. Scott Fitzgerald * Jay Halstead, in the television series '' Chicago P.D.'' * Jay Hogart, in the television series ''Degrassi: The Next Generation'' * Jay Kyle, in the TV series ''

My Wife and Kids ''My Wife and Kids'' is an American television sitcom that aired on ABC from March 28, 2001, to May 17, 2005, with a total of 123 half-hour episodes spanning five seasons. The series, produced by Touchstone Television in association with Wayan ...

'' * Jay Landsman, in the television series ''The Wire'' * Jay Nakamura,

Superman Superman is a superhero created by writer Jerry Siegel and artist Joe Shuster, which first appeared in the comic book ''Action Comics'' Action Comics 1, #1, published in the United States on April 18, 1938.The copyright date of ''Action Comics ...

( Jon Kent)'s boyfriend in

DC Comics DC Comics (originally DC Comics, Inc., and also known simply as DC) is an American comic book publisher owned by DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC is an initialism for "Detective Comics", an American comic book seri ...

Jay Sherman This is a list of characters in the animated television series ''The Critic''. Overview The Sherman family Jay Sherman ;Voiced by Jon Lovitz "New York's third most popular early-morning cable-TV film critic", 37-year-old Jay Prescott Sherman ...

, in the animated series ''

The Critic ''The Critic'' is an American Adult animation, adult animated sitcom revolving around the life of New York film critic Jay Sherman, voiced by Jon Lovitz. It was created by writing partners Al Jean and Mike Reiss, who had previously worked as w ...

'' *Jay Pritchett, a character in ''

Modern Family ''Modern Family'' is an American television sitcom, created by Steven Levitan and Christopher Lloyd, that aired on ABC for 11 seasons from September 23, 2009, to April 8, 2020. The series follows the lives of three diverse but interrelated fa ...

'' * Jay Walker ''(Ninjago)'', a character in ''Ninjago'' *

Jay Jays are a paraphyletic grouping of passerine birds within the family Corvidae. Although the term "jay" carries no taxonomic weight, most or all of the birds referred to as jays share a few similarities: they are small to medium-sized, usually ...

, in the films of Kevin Smith * Jay, in the television series '' The Tribe'' * Jay, one of The Blues in ''

Angry Birds ''Angry Birds'' is a Finnish media franchise created by Rovio Entertainment, and owned by Sega. The game series focuses on the titular flock of colorful angry birds who try to save their eggs from green-colored pigs. Inspired by the game ''Cr ...

'' * Jay, "The Leader" in the animated series '' Clash of the Titans'' *

, in the web series '' Marble Hornets'' * Jay, in the animated series ''

The Ridonculous Race ''Total Drama Presents: The Ridonculous Race'' (also known as ''Total Drama: The Ridonculous Race'' or simply ''The Ridonculous Race'') is a Canadian animated reality television series which lampoons the conventions commonly found in reality tele ...

'' * Jay, in the animated series '' Big Mouth'' * Jay, in the horror comic series '' Witch Creek Road'' * Jay, a villager in the Nintendo video game ''

Animal Crossing is a social simulation video game series developed and published by Nintendo. It was created by Katsuya Eguchi and Hisashi Nogami. The player character is a human who lives in a village inhabited by various anthropomorphic animals and can ...

'' * Jay, one of the three main superheroes in '' Kiya and the Kimoja Heroes'' * Jay, a character who is Finn Mertens' son in pillow world in the TV series ''Adventure Time'' * Jay, one of the playable characters in '' Puyo Puyo Tetris''

Lists of people with the name

* Jay Baker (disambiguation), multiple people * Jay Bell (disambiguation), multiple people * Jay Bergman (disambiguation), multiple people * Jay Bernard (disambiguation), multiple people * Jay Chapman (disambiguation), multiple people *

Jay Clark (disambiguation) Jay Clark may refer to: * Jay Clark (gymnastics), American collegiate gymnastics coach * Jay Clark (sport shooter) (1880–1948), American sport shooter See also *Jay Clarke (disambiguation) Jay Clarke may refer to: * Jay Clarke, real name of au ...

, multiple people *

Jay Clarke (disambiguation) Jay Clarke may refer to: * Jay Clarke, real name of author Michael Slade * Jay Clarke, American musician also known as Ash Black Bufflo * Jay Clarke, real name of English DJ Jodie Harsh * Jay Clarke (tennis) (born 1998), British tennis player *Nig ...

Jay Wright (disambiguation) Jay Wright may refer to: * Jay Wright (basketball) (born 1961), basketball coach *Jay Wright (poet) Jay L. Wright (born May 25, 1934) is a poet, playwright, and essayist. Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, he lives in Bradford, Vermont. Althou ...

, multiple people

References

{{Given name English masculine given names English feminine given names English unisex given names Masculine given names Feminine given names Unisex given names Hypocorisms