Girl nameCurrently #269 in the USSteady
Jane
JAYN//dʒeɪn//
1 syllablePeak year: 19474 lettersStarts with J
Meaning & origin
God is gracious (feminine of John)
Jane is a classic English feminine form of John, sharing the Hebrew meaning 'God is gracious', and has been a steady, unpretentious favorite for centuries, forever tied to Jane Austen and Jane Eyre. Its simplicity has kept it timeless rather than trendy.
Jane's popularity over time
| Year | Births named Jane |
|---|---|
| 1880 | 215 |
| 1881 | 216 |
| 1882 | 254 |
| 1883 | 247 |
| 1884 | 295 |
| 1885 | 330 |
| 1886 | 306 |
| 1887 | 288 |
| 1888 | 446 |
| 1889 | 374 |
| 1890 | 372 |
| 1891 | 379 |
| 1892 | 396 |
| 1893 | 354 |
| 1894 | 390 |
| 1895 | 394 |
| 1896 | 413 |
| 1897 | 396 |
| 1898 | 406 |
| 1899 | 382 |
| 1900 | 495 |
| 1901 | 325 |
| 1902 | 388 |
| 1903 | 381 |
| 1904 | 395 |
| 1905 | 393 |
| 1906 | 438 |
| 1907 | 531 |
| 1908 | 536 |
| 1909 | 626 |
| 1910 | 715 |
| 1911 | 937 |
| 1912 | 1,390 |
| 1913 | 1,766 |
| 1914 | 2,340 |
| 1915 | 3,279 |
| 1916 | 3,832 |
| 1917 | 4,271 |
| 1918 | 4,740 |
| 1919 | 4,544 |
| 1920 | 5,063 |
| 1921 | 5,200 |
| 1922 | 4,823 |
| 1923 | 4,928 |
| 1924 | 5,121 |
| 1925 | 4,905 |
| 1926 | 4,663 |
| 1927 | 4,722 |
| 1928 | 4,432 |
| 1929 | 4,373 |
| 1930 | 4,596 |
| 1931 | 4,552 |
| 1932 | 4,366 |
| 1933 | 4,395 |
| 1934 | 4,376 |
| 1935 | 4,664 |
| 1936 | 4,745 |
| 1937 | 4,723 |
| 1938 | 4,812 |
| 1939 | 4,796 |
| 1940 | 5,121 |
| 1941 | 5,114 |
| 1942 | 5,732 |
| 1943 | 6,052 |
| 1944 | 6,583 |
| 1945 | 7,656 |
| 1946 | 9,007 |
| 1947 | 9,960 |
| 1948 | 8,801 |
| 1949 | 8,738 |
| 1950 | 8,984 |
| 1951 | 8,962 |
| 1952 | 9,338 |
| 1953 | 8,934 |
| 1954 | 8,362 |
| 1955 | 8,361 |
| 1956 | 8,251 |
| 1957 | 7,805 |
| 1958 | 7,219 |
| 1959 | 6,879 |
| 1960 | 6,607 |
| 1961 | 6,381 |
| 1962 | 6,128 |
| 1963 | 5,775 |
| 1964 | 4,575 |
| 1965 | 3,943 |
| 1966 | 3,221 |
| 1967 | 2,738 |
| 1968 | 2,200 |
| 1969 | 1,885 |
| 1970 | 1,601 |
| 1971 | 1,302 |
| 1972 | 1,167 |
| 1973 | 962 |
| 1974 | 835 |
| 1975 | 787 |
| 1976 | 702 |
| 1977 | 752 |
| 1978 | 699 |
| 1979 | 725 |
| 1980 | 775 |
| 1981 | 769 |
| 1982 | 849 |
| 1983 | 789 |
| 1984 | 731 |
| 1985 | 719 |
| 1986 | 679 |
| 1987 | 674 |
| 1988 | 730 |
| 1989 | 787 |
| 1990 | 781 |
| 1991 | 718 |
| 1992 | 657 |
| 1993 | 691 |
| 1994 | 706 |
| 1995 | 618 |
| 1996 | 639 |
| 1997 | 648 |
| 1998 | 638 |
| 1999 | 618 |
| 2000 | 647 |
| 2001 | 671 |
| 2002 | 696 |
| 2003 | 709 |
| 2004 | 657 |
| 2005 | 651 |
| 2006 | 665 |
| 2007 | 775 |
| 2008 | 826 |
| 2009 | 831 |
| 2010 | 833 |
| 2011 | 868 |
| 2012 | 927 |
| 2013 | 898 |
| 2014 | 1,026 |
| 2015 | 1,112 |
| 2016 | 1,135 |
| 2017 | 1,157 |
| 2018 | 1,133 |
| 2019 | 1,188 |
| 2020 | 1,169 |
| 2021 | 1,172 |
| 2022 | 1,089 |
| 2023 | 1,114 |
| 2024 | 1,180 |
Jane through the decades
- Jane peaked in 1947, when 9,960 babies were named Jane in the US.
- The 1950s were Jane's strongest decade, averaging 8,310 births a year.
- Over the last 10 years of data (2015–2024), use of Jane has risen 38% compared to the 10 years before that.
- Jane currently ranks #269 in the US and is holding steady.
Nicknames
Janie
Variants & spellings
JayneJoan
Famous people named Jane
- Jane Austen — novelist