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Name Lineage

    The first name Janet

    A girl’s name.

    Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒænɪt/ 2 syllables Female

    Meaning and origin

    From Jane + -et, q.v. Chiefly Scottish until the 19th century. Doublet of Jeanette, Jeannette, Juanita, Shanae, and Sinead.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 4 girls were named Janet, making it the 4,867th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2008, with 23 births (#1,247).

    01530 1996200020052010201520202025
    364
    babies named Janet, 1996–2025
    #4,867
    rank in 2025
    2008
    peak year

    Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Janet with other names.

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Janet at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 61 girls born in the United States were named Janet, the 2,791st most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1954, when 18,477 were.

    010,00020,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    558,291
    babies named Janet since 1880
    #2,791
    rank in 2025
    1954
    peak year

    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.

    Nicknames and spellings

    Nicknames for Janet

    • Jaz

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Janet

    93 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Janet Jackson
      American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress (born 1966)
    • Janet Yellen
      78th United States Secretary of the Treasury, born 1946
    • Janet Gaynor
      American actress (1906–1984)
    • Janet Leigh
      American actress (1927–2004)
    • Janet McTeer
      British actress, born 1961
    • Janet Napolitano
      American politician, lawyer, and academic administrator (born 1957)
    • Janet Reno
      Former Attorney General of the United States (1938-2016)
    • Janet Evans
      American swimmer, Olympic gold medalist, world champion, former world record-holder, born 1971
    • Janet L. Kavandi
      American astronaut, born 1959
    • Janet Baker
      British opera and concert singer, born 1933
    • Janet Montgomery
      British actress, born 1985
    • Janet T. Mills
      American politician and 75th governor of Maine (born 1947)

    Questions

    What does the name Janet mean?
    From Jane + -et, q.v. Chiefly Scottish until the 19th century. Doublet of Jeanette, Jeannette, Juanita, Shanae, and Sinead.
    How popular is the name Janet?
    In 2025, 4 girls born in England and Wales were named Janet, ranking 4,867th. Its peak was 2008, with 23 births.
    What are nicknames for Janet?
    Common nicknames for Janet include Jaz.
    Is Janet a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 558,291 US babies named Janet since 1880 were girls.
    When was Janet most popular?
    1954 in the United States, when 18,477 babies were named Janet, its highest rank at 19th.
    How do you pronounce Janet?
    Janet is /ˈd͡ʒænɪt/, 2 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Janet?
    Janette and Jannette.