Jordan (name)

Jordan is a given name and a surname.

The form found in Western names originates from the Hebrew Yarden, meaning "to go down", relating to the Jordan River in West Asia. According to the New Testament of the Bible, John the Baptist baptised Jesus Christ in the Jordan, and during the Crusades, crusaders and pilgrims would bring back some of the river water in containers to use in the baptism of their own children in Europe and Britain. It thus became popular as a first name. Jordanes, a 6th-century Gothic historian, may have popularised the name as well.

The Greek form is Ἰορδάνης (Iordanes), in Arabic it is Al-Urdunn, in Latin Jordanus, in Italian Giordano, in Spanish Jordán, in Portuguese Jordão, in German Jordan, in Dutch Jordaan, in French Jourdain, in Irish Iordáin or Riordan, in Russian Йордан (Yordan), in Romanian Iordan, in Bulgarian Йордан (Yordan), in Polish Jordan, and in Catalan Jordà.

The English form of the name appears to have died out after medieval times, but started to be used again the 19th century, becoming especially popular in the U.S. and some other countries in the latter half of the 20th century.

Jordan is used as either a given name or a surname. Until the late 1970s, "Jordan" was predominantly used as a male name in the United States, but later began to gain popularity as a female name as well. As of 2006, males accounted for 72.5% of people with this name in that country.

Notable people and characters with the name include:

Christianity

 * Jordan of Bristol, saint venerated in Bristol, England
 * Jordan (Bishop of Poland) (died 982 or 984), first Bishop of Poland
 * Jordan of Clivio (died 1120), Archbishop of Milan
 * Jordan of Saxony (died 1237), Dominican master general
 * Jordan of Santa Susanna (died after 1154), French cardinal and papal legate
 * Jordan Catalani (died 1330), Dominican missionary and explorer
 * Raymond Jordan (fl. c. 1381), monk and author
 * Jordan of Pisa (also known as Jordan of Rivalto, c. 1255 – 1311), monk, academic and theologian
 * Samuel M. Jordan (1871–1952), American Presbyterian missionary in Persia
 * Francis Mary of the Cross Jordan (1848–1918), Roman Catholic priest and the founder of the Salvatorian order

Nobility

 * Jordan I of Capua (died 1091), Prince of Capua
 * Jordan of Hauteville (died 1092), Count of Syracuse
 * Jordan II of Capua (died 1127), Prince of Capua
 * Jordan of Ariano (died 1127), Norman count
 * Jordan Pierleoni, leader of the Commune of Rome
 * Jordan de Exeter (died 1258), Anglo-Norman knight, fought at First Battle of Athenry, Sheriff of Connaught
 * Jordan Lancia (died 1268), Italian victor of the Battle of Montaperti
 * Jordan IV of L'Isle-Jourdain (died 1288), French crusader
 * Jordan Óge de Exeter (died 1319), Anglo-Irish sheriff

Politics

 * Barbara Jordan (1936–1996), U.S. Representative from Texas
 * B. Everett Jordan (1896–1974), U.S. Senator from North Carolina
 * Christina Jordan (born 1962), British politician
 * Daphne Jordan (born 1959), American politician serving in the New York State Senate
 * Hamilton Jordan (1944–2008), advisor to American President Jimmy Carter
 * Jim Jordan (born 1964), United States Representative from Ohio
 * Kris Jordan (1977-2023), American politician
 * Leon Jordan (1905–1970), American politician who served in the Missouri House of Representatives
 * Orchid I. Jordan (1910–1995), American politician who served in the Missouri House of Representatives
 * Raymond A. Jordan (1943-2022), American politician
 * Ricardo López Jordán (1822–1889), Argentinean political and military figure
 * Robert Jordan (lawyer) (born 1945), American lawyer and former diplomat
 * Vernon Jordan (1935–2021), American lawyer and business executive
 * Wilhelm Jordan (writer) (1819–1904), German writer and politician

Surname

 * Alexis Jordan (born 1992), American singer and actress
 * Angelina Jordan (born 2006), Norwegian child singer who won the 2014 season of Norway´s Got Talent
 * Armin Jordan (1932–2006), Swiss conductor
 * Benn Jordan (born 1978), American musician
 * David Jordan (singer) (born 1985), English singer-songwriter
 * Frankie Jordan (born 1938), French pop singer
 * Jeremy Jordan (disambiguation)
 * Leroy "Lonnie" Jordan (born 1948), founding member of American band War
 * Louis Jordan (1908–1975), African-American musician and songwriter
 * Montell Jordan (born 1968), American R&B singer-songwriter and record producer
 * Ronny Jordan (born 1962), British musician
 * Steve Jordan (disambiguation)

Given name

 * Jordan Terrell Carter (born 1996), American rapper-songwriter
 * Jordan Dykstra (born 1985), American composer
 * Jordan Edwards-Wilks (born 1994), British rapper, singer and songwriter
 * Jordan Jenks (born 1993), Belizean-American rapper, record producer, and songwriter
 * Jordan Knight (born 1970), American pop singer (New Kids on the Block)
 * Jordan Kyle, American songwriter and producer
 * Jordan Luck (b. ca 1961), New Zealand musician
 * Jordan Maron (born 1992), American electronic music producer
 * Jordan North (born 1990), English radio DJ
 * Jordan Officer (born 1976), Canadian jazz/blues/country musician
 * Jordan Pruitt (born 1991), American pop singer
 * Jordan Raycroft (born 1991), Canadian singer-songwriter
 * Jordan Rudess (born 1956), American keyboardist (Dream Theater)
 * Jordin Sparks (born 1989), American singer
 * Jordan Waring (born 1964), American symphonic composer and banker
 * Jordan White (musician) (born 1980), American rock musician

Surname

 * Brent Jordan (born 1963), American writer and strip-club bouncer
 * Cornelia Jane Matthews Jordan (1830–1898), American poet, lyricist
 * Robert Jordan (1948–2007), American fantasy author

Given name

 * Jordan of Osnabrück (c. 1220 – 1284), German political writer
 * Jordan Belfort (born 1962), American author of The Wolf of Wall Street
 * Jordan Bonel (fl. late 12th century), French troubadour
 * Jordan Fantosme (died c. 1185), Anglo-Norman poet and historian
 * Jordan Ifueko (born 1993), Nigerian American writer
 * Jordan Sonnenblick (born 1969), American writer

Science

 * Camille Jordan (1838–1922), French mathematician
 * Claude Thomas Alexis Jordan (1847–1897), French botanist and taxonomist
 * David Starr Jordan (1851–1931), American biologist
 * Denis Jordan (1914–1982), Australian chemist
 * Edwin Oakes Jordan (1866–1936), American bacteriologist and public health scientist
 * Heinrich Ernst Karl Jordan (1861–1959), German entomologist
 * Henryk Jordan (1842–1907), Polish physician and philanthropist
 * Johann Christoph Jordan (died 1748), German writer on the history of the Slavic peoples
 * Julius Jordan (1877–1945), German archaeologist
 * Jordan Peterson (born 1962), Canadian psychologist
 * Michael I. Jordan (born 1956), American researcher in machine learning and artificial intelligence
 * Pascual Jordan (1902–1980), German theoretical and mathematical physicist
 * Thomas Brown Jordan (1807–1890), British inventor and mechanical engineer
 * V. Craig Jordan, British and American pharmacologist
 * Wilhelm Jordan (geodesist) (1842–1899), German geodesist

Surname

 * Andy Jordan (footballer born 1979), Scottish footballer
 * Brevin Jordan (born 2000), American football player
 * Brian Jordan, American professional baseball player
 * Chris Jordan (cricketer) (born 1988), English cricketer
 * Cameron Jordan (born 1989), American football player
 * DeAndre Jordan (born 1988), American basketball player
 * Eddie Jordan (born 1948), Irish automobile racer
 * Eddie Jordan (basketball) (born 1955), American basketball coach
 * Frank Jordan (footballer) (1883–1938), English footballer
 * Fred Jordan (baseball coach), American college baseball coach
 * George Jordan (footballer), Scottish footballer
 * Gerard Jordan, Northern Irish actor
 * Jason Jordan (born 1988), American professional wrestler
 * Jawhar Jordan (born 1999), American football player
 * Joe Jordan (footballer) (born 1951), Scottish footballer and football manager
 * Johnny Jordan (rugby league), English rugby league footballer of the 1930s
 * Johnny Jordan, English footballer
 * Jeffrey Jordan, American basketball player
 * Jerome Jordan, American basketball player
 * Lamont Jordan, American football player
 * Lee Roy Jordan (born 1941), American football player
 * Lena Jordan, Russian gymnast
 * Levi Jordan (born 1995), American baseball player
 * Lino Jordan, Italian biathlete and ski mountaineer
 * Michael Jordan (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Ola Jordan, Polish dancer
 * Orlando Jordan, American wrestler
 * Philip Jordan, Irish footballer
 * Richard Jordan (American football) (born 1972), American football player
 * Robert F. Jordan, American bridge player
 * Saffron Jordan (born 1993), English footballer
 * Savannah Jordan (born 1995), American soccer player
 * Scott Jordan (footballer) (born 1975), English footballer
 * Simon Jordan (born 1967), former football club owner
 * Stephen Jordan (born 1982), English footballer
 * Todd Jordan (born 1970), American football player
 * Ty Jordan (2001–2020), American football player
 * Willie Jordan (1885–1949), English footballer

Given name

 * Jordan Adams (born 1994), American basketball player
 * Jordan Addison (born 2002), American football player
 * Jordan Akins (born 1992), American football player
 * Jordan Barnett (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Jordan Battle (born 2000), American football player
 * Jordan Beck (American football) (born 1983), American football player
 * Jordan Beck (baseball) (born 2001), American baseball player
 * Jordan Berry (born 1991), Australian NFL football player
 * Jordan Binnington (born 1993), Canadian ice hockey player
 * Jordan Bone (born 1997), American basketball player
 * Jordan Bowers (born 2003), American gymnast
 * Jordan Brailford (born 1995), American football player
 * Jordan Brown (Australian soccer) (born 1996), Australian footballer
 * Jordan Brown (American football) (born 1997), American football player
 * Jordan Brown (born 1994), English-born Hong Kong professional footballer
 * Jordan Burrow (born 1992), English footballer
 * Jordan Byrd (born 2000), American football player
 * Jordin Canada (born 1995), American basketball player
 * Jordan Caroline (born 1996), American basketball player
 * Jordan Carrell (born 1994), American football player
 * Jordan Chait (born 1997), South African rugby union player
 * Jordan Chiles (born 2001), American gymnast
 * Jordan Cila (born 1982), American Major League Soccer midfielder
 * Jordan Chunn (born 1995), American football player
 * Jordan Cohen (born 1997), American-Israeli basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
 * Jordan da Costa (1932–2012), Brazilian footballer
 * Jordan Dangerfield (born 1990), American NFL football player
 * Jordan Davis (American football) (born 2000), American football player
 * Jordan Devlin (born 1990), Irish professional wrestler
 * Jordan Dingle (born 2000), American basketball player
 * Jordan Drew (born 1995), Australian Rugby League player
 * Jordan Eberle (born 1990), Canadian hockey player
 * Jordan Elliott (born 1997), American football player
 * Jordan Evans (American football) (born 1995), American football player
 * Jordan Farmar (born 1986), American basketball player
 * Jordan Ford (born 1998), American basketball player
 * Jordan Franks (born 1996), American football player
 * Jordan Fuller (born 1998), American football player
 * Jordan Glasgow (born 1996), American football player
 * Jordan Goddard, English footballer
 * Jordan Gruber (born 1983), American-Israeli soccer player
 * Jordan Hamilton (born 1990), American basketball player in the Israel Basketball Premier League
 * Jordan Hamilton (soccer) (born 1996), Canadian soccer player
 * Jordan Harris (born 2000), American NHL hockey player for the Montreal Canadiens
 * Jordan Hart (born 1995), Welsh badminton player
 * Jordan Hawkins (born 2002), American basketball player
 * Jordan Haynes (born 1996), Canadian soccer player
 * Jordan Henderson (born 1990), English footballer
 * Jordan Hill (basketball) (born 1987), American basketball player
 * Jordan Howard (born 1994), American football player
 * Jordan Howden (born 2000), American football player
 * Jordan Hulls (born 1990), American basketball player
 * Jordan Jackson (American football) (born 1998), American football player
 * Jordan Jefferson (born 1990), American football player and coach
 * Jordan Jefferson (defensive lineman), American football player
 * Jordan Kahu (born 1991), New Zealand Rugby League player
 * Jordan Kunaszyk (born 1996), American football player
 * Jordan Larson (born 1986), American volleyball player
 * Jordan Lasley (born 1996), American football player
 * Jordan Leggett (born 1995), American football player
 * Jordan Leslie (born 1991), American football player
 * Jordan Love (born 1998), American football player
 * Jordan Lyles (born 1990), American baseball player
 * Jordan Magee (born 2001), American football player
 * Jordan Mailata (born 1997), Samoan-Australian American football player
 * Jordan Mason (born 1999), American football player
 * Jordan McCloud (born 1999), American football player
 * Jordan McFadden (born 1999), American football player
 * Jordan McRae (born 1991), American basketball player
 * Jordan Meredith (born 1998), American football player
 * Jordan Miller (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Jordan Mims (born 1999), American football player
 * Jordan Minor (born 2000), American basketball player
 * Jordan Morgan (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Jordan Murrell (born 1993), Canadian soccer player
 * Jordan Murray (American football) (born 2000), American football player
 * Jordan Nobbs (born 1992), English FA Women's Super League footballer for Arsenal
 * Jordan Nwora (born 1998), Nigerian-American basketball player
 * Jordan Pacheco (born 1986), American baseball player
 * Jordan Parks (born 1994), American basketball player
 * Jordan Payton (born 1993), American football player
 * Jordan Pickford (born 1994), English footballer
 * Jordan Poole (born 1999), American basketball player
 * Jordan Poyer (born 1991), American football player
 * Jordan Rodgers (born 1988), American football player
 * Jordan Romano (born 1993), Canadian baseball player
 * Jordan Sakho (born 1997), Congolese basketball player
 * Jordan Scarlett (American football) (born 1996), American football player
 * Jordan Schafer (born 1986), American baseball player
 * Jordan Shipley (born 1985), American football player
 * Jordan Simmons (born 1994), American football player
 * Jordan Spence (born 1990), English footballer
 * Jordan Spieth (born 1993), American professional golfer
 * Jordan Staal (born 1988), Canadian hockey player
 * Jordan Stout (born 1998), American football player
 * Jordan Ta'amu (born 1997), American football player
 * Jordan Tang (born 1995), Hong Kong badminton player
 * Jordan Theodore (born 1989), American basketball player
 * Jordan Thomas (American football) (born 1996), American football player
 * Jordan Thompson (rugby league) (born 1991), English rugby league player
 * Jordan Thompson (American football) (born 1989), American football player
 * Jordan Thompson (tennis) (born 1994), Australian tennis player
 * Jordan Thompson (cricketer) (born 1996), English Cricket player
 * Jordin Tootoo (born 1983), Canadian hockey player
 * Jordan Travis (born 2000), American football player
 * Jordan Turner-Hall (born 1988), English rugby union player
 * Jordan Veasy (born 1995), American football player
 * Jordan Walker (disambiguation), multiple people
 * Jordan Watson (born 1987), English kickboxer
 * Jordan Whitehead (born 1997), American football player
 * Jordan Whittington (born 2000), American football player
 * Jordyn Wieber (born 1995), American gymnast
 * Jordan Wilkins (born 1994), American football player
 * Jordan Williams (American football) (born 1993), American football player
 * Jordan Williams (basketball, born 1990), American basketball player
 * Jordan Williams (footballer, born 1995) (born 1995), Welsh footballer
 * Jordan Williams (rugby union) (born 1993), Welsh rugby union player
 * Jordan Willis (American football) (born 1995), American football player
 * Yarden Gerbi (born 1989), nicknamed "Jordan," Israeli judoka world champion

Television

 * Charlotte Jordan (born 1994), English actress who has starred on Free Rein and Coronation Street
 * Olivia Jordan (born 1988), American actress and model
 * Sharon Jordan (born 1960), American film and television actress, recurred on Disney's The Suite Life of Zack & Cody
 * Tom Jordan (1937–2019), Irish actor noted for three decades of work on Fair City
 * Tony Jordan (born 1957), British television writer
 * Jordan Hayes (born 1987), Canadian television actress
 * Jordan Lloyd (born 1986), American reality television participant
 * Jordan Renzo (born 1993), American actor
 * Jordan Todosey (born 1995), Canadian television actress

Film

 * Leslie Jordan (1955–2022), American actor
 * Michael B. Jordan, American actor
 * Neil Jordan, Irish filmmaker
 * Nick Jordan, British artist filmmaker
 * Richard Jordan (1937–1993), American actor
 * Jordan Ladd, American horror actress
 * Jordan Nagai, American actor who played Russell in the 2009 film Up
 * Jordan Peele, American actor, writer and director

Surname

 * Artishia Wilkerson Jordan (1901–1974), American educator and clubwoman
 * Ayana Jordan, American addiction psychiatrist
 * Daniel Ben Jordan (1934–1987), American Mormon fundanentalist
 * Elder Jordan (c. 1850–1936), African-American businessman, philanthropist, and namesake to a neighborhood in St. Petersburg, Florida
 * Dorothea Jordan (1761–1816), Irish actress and courtesan
 * Sir Joseph Jordan (Royal Navy officer) (c.1603–1685), English admiral
 * Lorna Jordan (1954–2021), American artist
 * Mildred M. Jordan (died 1965), American medical librarian
 * Olivia Jordan (1919–2021), British driver and interpreter for Charles de Gaulle
 * Steven L. Jordan, American soldier who faced trial concerning the Abu Ghraib detainee-abuse scandal
 * Susan Jordan (born 1947), New Zealand dancer
 * Thomas Jordan, Swiss economist and banking supervisor
 * William Lancelot Jordan (1896-1925), South African flying ace

Given name

 * Jordan Carver (born 1986), German model and actress
 * Jordan "n0thing" Gilbert, American professional Counter-Strike player
 * Jordan Mechner, American computer-game programmer and game designer
 * Jordan Misja (1913–1942), Albanian communist of Serbian descent, People's Hero of Albania
 * Jordan Ratcliffe, English teenager who went missing in 2008
 * Jordan Shanks-Markinova, Australian YouTube personality known as Friendlyjordies

Fictional characters

 * Janardan Jakhar, also known as "Jordan" or "JJ", the eponymous protagonist of the film Rockstar
 * Jordan Baker, in the novel The Great Gatsby
 * Jordan Black, the daughter of main character Frank Black in the American TV series Millennium
 * Jordan Cavanaugh, on the television show Crossing Jordan
 * Jordan Catalano, portrayed by Jared Leto in the American TV series My So-Called Life
 * Jordan Chase, motivational speaker from the TV series Dexter
 * Jordan Collier, one of the central figures of the 4400 in the American TV series The 4400, portrayed by Billy Campbell
 * Jordan Elliot, in the novel Beach Music
 * Jordan James Lewis, from the family sitcom Just Jordan, portrayed by Lil' JJ
 * Jordan Sullivan, played by Christa Miller on the television show Scrubs
 * Deanna and Amy Jordyn, minor American "reality TV" stars
 * Hal Jordan, superhero in DC Comics, better known as Green Lantern
 * Lee Jordan, in the Harry Potter franchise
 * Robert Jordan, the protagonist of the novel For Whom the Bell Tolls.