Jade

Jade takes its name from the ornamental stone, especially associated with green shades and carving. The word’s history leads through the Spanish phrase piedra de la ijada, “stone of the side,” reflecting an old belief about the stone’s healing properties. That explains the unusual historical gloss; it is not a medical property we should assume the stone possesses.

For a child’s name, the direct meaning is simply the gemstone. Jade belongs alongside Ruby and Pearl as a nature-based choice, but its one-syllable sound gives it a different rhythm. Jayde is an alternative spelling, and Giada is an Italian counterpart. Jade has been used for both boys and girls, while the figures here show how strongly the current US use differs between them.