# Jana (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/jana/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | Czech |
| Meaning | “god is gracious” |
| Pronunciation | not recorded |
| Nicknames | none recorded |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |
| US babies named this | 46,223 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 38 / 46,185 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 1,103, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

From Czech Jana, ultimately from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān) which produced John and its many doublets. As a placeholder name, cf. similar use of John and Jack and earlier use of Joan in the same role. Doublet of Ivana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.

## What it means

Jana is grouped under grace.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 213 | 1,151 |
| 2012 | 238 | 1,058 |
| 2013 | 244 | 1,021 |
| 2014 | 229 | 1,110 |
| 2015 | 266 | 1,009 |
| 2016 | 301 | 917 |
| 2017 | 292 | 916 |
| 2018 | 269 | 983 |
| 2019 | 237 | 1,066 |
| 2020 | 234 | 1,062 |
| 2021 | 228 | 1,090 |
| 2022 | 214 | 1,140 |
| 2023 | 200 | 1,201 |
| 2024 | 171 | 1,339 |
| 2025 | 181 | 1,247 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1963 | 9 | 2,945 |
| 1970 | 5 | 5,046 |
| 1977 | 6 | 5,430 |
| 1980 | 5 | 6,671 |
| 1985 | 6 | 6,102 |
| 1986 | 7 | 5,585 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 39 | 915 |
| 2012 | 40 | 916 |
| 2013 | 39 | 944 |
| 2014 | 38 | 963 |
| 2015 | 48 | 794 |
| 2016 | 44 | 852 |
| 2017 | 61 | 673 |
| 2018 | 61 | 657 |
| 2019 | 58 | 670 |
| 2020 | 37 | 941 |
| 2021 | 59 | 654 |
| 2022 | 44 | 809 |
| 2023 | 35 | 981 |
| 2024 | 46 | 811 |
| 2025 | 54 | 684 |

## People named Jana

- Jana Novotná, Czech tennis player (1968–2017)
- Jana Cova, Czech pornographic actress
- Jana Pittman, Australian sprinter, hurdler, and bobsledder (born 1982)
- Jana Fett, Croatian female tennis player
- Jana Brejchová, Czech actress (1940–2026)
- Jana Kramer, American singer and actress
- Jana Tichá, Czech astronomer
- Jana Černochová, Czech politician
- Jana Sorgers, East German rower
- Jana Pallaske, German actress and singer
- Jana Toom, Estonian politician (born 1966)
- Jana Bellin, Czech chess player

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.