Jordan
Jordan is a unisex name of Hebrew origin meaning “to flow down; descend.” It ranked #79 in the United States in 2025. From the Hebrew Yarden, the name of the river that flows down from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, where Jesus was…
how do you pronounce Jordan?
JOR-dan
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Jordan mean?
The name Jordan means “to flow down; descend.” It comes from the Hebrew language tradition.
From the Hebrew Yarden, the name of the river that flows down from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea, where Jesus was baptized. It became a gender-neutral given name in the English-speaking world in the 20th century.
where does the name Jordan come from?
From the Hebrew יַרְדֵּן (Yarden), built on a root meaning to descend or flow down — an apt description of a river that runs from Mount Hermon to the lowest body of water on earth.
the history of Jordan
Crusaders returning from the Holy Land brought back Jordan water for baptisms and began using the river's name for their children, which is how it entered European use in the twelfth century. The river's association with baptism, and with crossing into the promised land, made it a recurring image in spirituals. Michael Jordan gave the name a different weight from the 1980s.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2024 | #79 |
| 2023 | #77 |
| 2022 | #75 |
| 2021 | #72 |
| 2020 | #69 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
what are the nicknames and variants of Jordan?
Nicknames
Variants around the world
who are famous people named Jordan?
- Michael Jordan (basketball player)
- Jordan Peele (filmmaker)
- Jordan Baker (The Great Gatsby character)
what names are similar to Jordan?
what names go well with Jordan?
Sibling names that share Jordan's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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