# Jane (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/jane/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

A surname originating as a patronymic derived from a Middle English variant of John.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | French |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 801 |
| US rank (2010) | 29,473 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 385,450 people |
| Change since 2000 | +4.6% (766 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /d͡ʒeɪn/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | Jayne, Jaine |

## Etymology

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.

## Who carries it

Share of people named Jane in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 59% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 10% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 17% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 11% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 1.0% |
| Two or more races | 1.1% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named Jane in the United States.

## People named Jane

- Jesse Jane, American pornographic actress (1980–2024)
- Thomas Jane, American actor

## Similar surnames

Jean, Jain, Juan, Jahn, June, Jayne, Janney, Jan, Jani, Janey, Jaén, Jaime.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.