The first name Jane
A girl’s name from French meaning “god is gracious”.
Pronounced /d͡ʒeɪn/ 1 syllable Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
French origin
Jane means “god is gracious” in French.
Variant of Jeanne, from French Jeanne, from Middle French Jehanne, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Latin Ioanna under influence from Latin Iōhannēs, 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 Gianna, Ivana, Jana, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.
More names that mean grace.
A form of John.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 30 girls were named Jane, making it the 1,110th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 1996, with 112 births (#316).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jane with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Jane at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 1,380 girls born in the United States were named Jane, the 221st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 9,943 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Jane in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Jane
285 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Jane AustenEnglish novelist (1775–1817)
- Jane GoodallEnglish primatologist and anthropologist (1934–2025)
- Jane FondaAmerican actress and activist, born 1937
- Jane AddamsAmerican feminist social activist, reformer, social worker, sociologist, philosopher, and , 1860–1935
- Jane WymanAmerican actress (1917–2007)
- Jane BirkinBritish-French actress and singer (1946–2023)
- Jane RussellAmerican actress (1921–2011)
- Jane LynchAmerican actress, born 1960
- Jane SeymourBritish actress, born 1951
- Jane DarwellAmerican actress (1879-1967)
- Jane AlexanderAmerican actress (born 1939)
- Jane KrakowskiAmerican actress and singer, comedian, born 1968
More French girls’ names
Questions
- What does the name Jane mean?
- Jane means “god is gracious” in French.
- What is the origin of the name Jane?
- Variant of Jeanne, from French Jeanne, from Middle French Jehanne, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Latin Ioanna under influence from Latin Iōhannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān)…
- How popular is the name Jane?
- In 2025, 30 girls born in England and Wales were named Jane, ranking 1,110th. Its peak was 1996, with 112 births.
- What are nicknames for Jane?
- Common nicknames for Jane include Janie, Janey.
- Is Jane a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 381,009 US babies named Jane since 1880 were girls.
- When was Jane most popular?
- 1947 in the United States, when 9,943 babies were named Jane, its highest rank at 36th.
- How do you pronounce Jane?
- Jane is /d͡ʒeɪn/, one syllable.
- What name is Jane a form of?
- Jane is a form of John.
- What are other spellings of Jane?
- Jayne, Jaine and Janna.
- Is Jane also a surname?
- Yes. Jane is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.