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Name Lineage

    The first name Janice

    A girl’s name meaning “god is gracious”.

    Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒænɪs/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname

    Meaning and origin

    Janice means “god is gracious”.

    Variant of Jane under apparent influence from Alice, Bernice, Eunice, etc., 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 Ivana, Jana, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.

    More names that mean grace.

    From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).

    Popularity

    Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025

    In 2025, 13 girls were named Janice, making it the 2,138th most popular girls’ name. It peaked in 2010, with 18 births (#1,584).

    01020 1996200020052010201520202025
    326
    babies named Janice, 1996–2025
    #2,138
    rank in 2025
    2010
    peak year

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

    Popularity in the United States

    Babies named Janice at birth, 1880–2025

    In 2025, 70 girls born in the United States were named Janice, the 2,522nd most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1951, when 15,958 were.

    010,00020,000 188018851890189519001905191019151920192519301935194019451950195519601965197019751980198519901995200020052010201520202025
    407,605
    babies named Janice since 1880
    #2,522
    rank in 2025
    1951
    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

    Other spellings and forms

    Famous people named Janice

    19 on Wikidata, most written-about first

    • Janice Dickinson
      American model and actress, born 1955
    • Janice E. Voss
      American engineer and NASA astronaut (1956-2012)
    • Janice Rule
      American actress (1931–2003)
    • Janice Cayman
      Belgian footballer, born 1988
    • Janice Lawrence Braxton
      American basketball player (born 1962)
    • Janice Hahn
      American politician, born 1952
    • Janice Kawaye
      American voice actress, born 1970
    • Janice Raymond
      American writer and radical feminist, born 1943
    • Janice Bremner
      Artistic swimmer from Canada, born 1974
    • Janice Karman
      American actress, born 1954
    • Janice Eberly
      American economist, born 2000
    • Janice Loeb
      American film director, screenwriter, cinematographer and film producer, 1902–1996

    Questions

    What does the name Janice mean?
    Janice means “god is gracious”.
    How popular is the name Janice?
    In 2025, 13 girls born in England and Wales were named Janice, ranking 2,138th. Its peak was 2010, with 18 births.
    Is Janice a boy's or a girl's name?
    Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 407,605 US babies named Janice since 1880 were girls.
    When was Janice most popular?
    1951 in the United States, when 15,958 babies were named Janice, its highest rank at 21st.
    How do you pronounce Janice?
    Janice is /ˈd͡ʒænɪs/, 2 syllables.
    What are other spellings of Janice?
    Jan, Janis and Janyce.
    Is Janice also a surname?
    Yes. Janice is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.