How common is the surname Janis?

4,233 people in the United States had the surname Janis in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 72,938 Americans. It ranked 7,821st of 162,253 surnames.

What ethnicity is the surname Janis?

In the 2010 Census, 73% of people named Janis identified as white (not Hispanic), and 17% as American Indian and Alaska Native.

Who is the most famous person named Janis?

Elsie Janis, American actress (1889-1956), followed by Dorothy Janis.

Where is the surname Janis most common?

Wikidata records people named Janis in the United States.

Is the surname Janis getting more or less common?

More common. 3,814 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 4,233 in 2010, up 11%.

Is Janis also a first name?

Yes. Janis is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.

The surname Janis

A surname, carried by 4,233 people in the United States.

2 syllables Soundex J520 Also a first name

Every surname held by 100 or more people in the 2010 US Census, most common on the left (162,253 in all). Janis is more common than 95.2% of them.

How common it is

2010 US Census

There were 4,233 people named Janis in the United States in 2010, about 1 in every 72,938 Americans. That is up 11% since 2000, when the Census counted 3,814.

#7,821

rank among US surnames

4,233

people in 2010

1.4

per 100,000 Americans

+11%

change since 2000 (was #8,022)

Rank	Surname	People	1 in
#7,815	Danko	4,237	72,869
#7,816	Huertas	4,235	72,903
#7,819	Shouse	4,234	72,921
#7,821	Powe	4,233	72,938
#7,825	Sanjuan	4,232	72,955
#7,827	Holston	4,231	72,972

Who is named Janis

Race and Hispanic origin as people reported it in the 2010 Census

73% of people named Janis identified as white (not Hispanic), 17% as American Indian and Alaska Native and 3.6% as Hispanic or Latino (any race).

White (not Hispanic) 73%
American Indian and Alaska Native 17%
Hispanic or Latino (any race) 3.6%
Black (not Hispanic) 3.5%
Two or more races 2.3%
Asian and Pacific Islander 0.8%

Compare: most common surnames among white Americans.

Famous Janiss

5 notable people on Wikidata, most written-about first

Elsie Janis
American actress (1889-1956)
Dorothy Janis
Actress (1912-2010)
Conrad Janis
American actor and musician (1928–2022)
Byron Janis
American musician (1928–2024)
Irving Janis
American psychologist (1918–1990)

Spellings and sound-alikes

Useful when a record has your ancestor under another spelling

Surnames that sound like Janis

Janis has the Soundex code J520, the code US census indexes have used since the 1930s. Every surname with code J520.

Questions

How common is the surname Janis?: 4,233 people in the United States had the surname Janis in the 2010 Census, about 1 in every 72,938 Americans. It ranked 7,821st of 162,253 surnames.
What ethnicity is the surname Janis?: In the 2010 Census, 73% of people named Janis identified as white (not Hispanic), and 17% as American Indian and Alaska Native.
Who is the most famous person named Janis?: Elsie Janis, American actress (1889-1956), followed by Dorothy Janis.
Where is the surname Janis most common?: Wikidata records people named Janis in the United States.
Is the surname Janis getting more or less common?: More common. 3,814 people carried it in the 2000 Census and 4,233 in 2010, up 11%.
Is Janis also a first name?: Yes. Janis is used as a first name as well as a surname; its first-name page has the meaning and how many babies were given it.