Today’s sneak peek is Jack — which was the most popular boy’s
name in the UK for over fifteen years, until yesterday’s Oliver
knocked it off the top spot in 2009. Pet-form of JOHN, used
since the Middle Ages. It developed from the earlier medieval
pet-form Jankin (which gave rise to the surnames Jenkin,
Jenkins, Jenkinson, Jenks and Jinks, etc). It was very common in
the late medieval period, and came into use as a generic name
for a man or male creature, such as Jack Tar. Some uses have
become so engrained the fact that the name Jack is involved
almost goes unnoticed, such as steeplejack, jackass and JACKDAW.
The name features particularly highly in folklore. Jack Frost is
frost personified; a spirit of Winter who draws fern-patterns on
icy glass-panes. Jack-in-the-green is a name of the Green Man,
and jack-o’lantern is another name for the will-o’-the-wisp.
Several surnames derive from it, including Jack, Jacks, Jaggs,
Jakes, Jeeks, Jacket, Jacklin, Jackman and JACKSON. Before the
20th Century, most Jacks w