Jase, Jace, and Jayce

Jase ~ Healer ~ Greek

updated: June 2015

Jase Robertson, far left
image credit: Daily Billboard

I was in a daring mood today, and decided to blindly choose my next name feature by number. Since it was 3:04 p.m., I looked up the 304th most popular boy's name in the United States. And you're going to be shocked at what happened—#304 is a very trendy name that has recently been in the spotlight on reality TV. What are the odds?

The name Jase is a contemporary one-syllable choice in the vein of Ace, Chase, Jax, Jay, and Kase. It's got a simple, energetic sound that's perfect for a little boy and fitting for an adult, too.

History
Jase is a variation of the name Jason, which is an ancient Greek name found in Greek mythology and the New Testament of the Bible. The name Jase has a shorter history with a pop-culture claim to fame. The sound of the name started catching on in the US during the early 80s, but the spelling Jase didn't make an appearance in the top 1,000 until 2002. Both Jace and Jase were already getting some attention before either of these reality shows appeared, but having a lot of exposure on TV didn't hurt their popularity.

• Jace is the name chosen by mom Jenelle Evans for her son from the shows 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom 2
• Jase Robertson is a laid back family man and duck-call maker on Duck Dynasty.

Popularity & Variations
While the name Jason may have deep roots and a long history of use and popularity in the US, the nickname-ish Jase and similar variations are just recently becoming a favorite with today's parents.

Update: When I wrote this post in 2013, these names were red-hot and all on the rise. Today, they are all starting to settle in to where they are likely to stay for awhile (except for new spelling Jayse). The popularity of these names is deceptive: Jace may be at 68, but combined with its variety of spellings, its sound is a wildly popular favorite in America!

Here's where they all stand in order of rank.

1. Jace: The most popular spelling. Jace is staying put in the top 100s, at #68 for 2014. Just like I predicted, Jace is now more popular than Jason (ranked at #75)!
2. Jase: On a slight downward trend and sitting at #105 for 2014.
3. Jayce: Staying put in the top 200s, at #150 for 2014.
4. Jayse: This may be the least popular spelling, sitting at #914 for 2014, but it's on an upward trend.

If you're wondering how you should spell this name, my advice is to go with your gut and choose the spelling that looks and feels the best to you. If it's important to you that it be as easy as possible for others to spell, go with Jace, the most popular variation.

Using Jason Instead
If you decide you'd like to use the name Jason with Jase as a nickname, it'll likely be spelled with an s. That's how Jase Robertson got his name, as it's a natural short form of Jason. Teaching everyone to spell the nickname a different way is a possibility, which would work well especially if the full name is very rarely used. But at that point, unless there is a relative to honor or another sentimental reason, I'd say just go with the short form on that birth certificate.

If you really love the name Jace/Jase/Jayce but are worried it's not formal enough, it may help to look at how Jason is sliding a bit in popularity. It's one of those cases where a variation has grabbed the spotlight from its original form.

More Famous Namesakes & Celebrity Babies

• Good Charlotte guitarist Billy Martin and his wife chose Jace as a middle name for their son, Zander Jace.
• A character named Jase Dyer can be found on the British soap EastEnders. Here Jase is short for Jason.