Jasper

updated Sept 2015

Jasper ~ Treasurer ~ English

Jasper National Park, Canada

I was looking for a relatively unique but trendy-sounding boy's name and I found it: Jasper. It can sit alongside more popular baby names like Jaden or Skyler, but it's also got an extensive history and deep meaning. It has a creative, old-fashioned personality that's perfect for today's little ones.

History
Jasper has been used since the 17th century as an English form of the name Casper, a Persian name used as early as the 9th century! Casper is traditionally one of the three wise men who brought gifts to honor Christ. Jasper is also the name of a semi-precious stone that comes in many beautiful colors and is found across the world. The mineral is referred to in many ancient texts, including the Bible. Jasper is one of the traditional birthstones for March.

Victorian America
Jasper hit a peak in the late 1800s, making this name hit a sweet spot for today's parents who are in love with Victorian names. It has a bit of pioneer strength to it, but it manages to sound completely contemporary—like a surname and a nature name as well.

And, yes, Stephenie Meyer brought this name to our attention when she named one of her vampires Jasper Hale. As a major in the Confederate army, this character was named very well in accordance with the era he came from. But Jasper is more than a Twilight name—it's clearly taking on a life of its own!

Variations and Popularity
Today Jasper continues to climb the charts. Jasper doesn't have many variations. I've heard of parents shortening the name to what sounds like "Jazz," which is pretty cute. More on that below.

• Ranked at 218 for 2014
• Variations: Jazz, Casper, Gasper, Jaspar
• Celeb babies: Don Johnson has a son named Jasper, born in 2002
• Many cities and counties in the U.S. have the name Jasper, in addition to Jasper National Park in Canada