The first name Janis
A girl’s name.
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒænɪs/ 2 syllables Female Also a surname
Meaning and origin
A variant of Janice. Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Janice, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
Janis last appeared in the official list in 2024, given to 3 girls. It peaked in 2012, with 8 births (#2,458).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Janis with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Janis at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 10 girls born in the United States were named Janis, the 9,736th most popular girls’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 3,205 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.
Famous people named Janis
13 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Janis JoplinAmerican singer (1943–1970)
- Jānis Čakste1st president of Latvia (1859-1927)
- Janis IanAmerican singer-songwriter, born 1951
- Jānis PujatsCatholic cardinal of Latvian origin (born 1930)
- Janis BlaswichGerman association football player, born 1991
- Janis CarterAmerican actress, singer & television personality (1913-1994)
- Jānis ĶipursBobsledder, born 1958
- Janis MartinAmerican musician (1940–2007)
- Janis AntisteFrench association football player (born 2002)
- Jānis LidmanisBasketballer, footballer (1910-1986)
- Janis KarpinskiAmerican military officer, born 1953
- Janis SiegelAmerican singer, born 1952
Questions
- What does the name Janis mean?
- A variant of Janice. Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Janice, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.
- How popular is the name Janis?
- In 2024, 3 girls born in England and Wales were named Janis, ranking 5,891st. Its peak was 2012, with 8 births.
- Is Janis a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a girl's name: 100% of the 49,015 US babies named Janis since 1880 were girls.
- When was Janis most popular?
- 1947 in the United States, when 3,205 babies were named Janis, its highest rank at 108th.
- How do you pronounce Janis?
- Janis is /ˈd͡ʒænɪs/, 2 syllables.
- Is Janis also a surname?
- Yes. Janis is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.