Jane
Top 1000
About Jane
Simple, classic, strong, and versatile, Jane has shrugged off her plain associations to become a short, punchy name with plenty of literary significance. Calling to mind Jane Austen and Jane Eyre, this charming choice is in the Top 300 in the US and The Netherlands, but a currently underused option elsewhere.
Ultimately derived from Iohannes and Yoḥanan, Jane is a feminine form of John that began appearing in Medieval England as an adaption of the French Jehanne. It's moved in and out of fashion over the years, competing with Joan, Jean, and Joanna as the ultimate John variant, but Jane is the one that became the generic female moniker (as in, Jane Doe or G.I. Jane).
A middle name favorite, because just like with Rose and Mae, it goes well with a lot of names, Jane has also appeared in various smoosh forms over the years, especially in its 20th century heyday, when Maryjane, Bettyjane and Sarajane were also in style. And that's before you consider any of its elaborate forms: Janelle, Janet, Janette, Janelle, Janae, Janey, Janice, Janetta...
Alongside its rich literary history, Jane also brings to mind primatologist Jane Goodall, activist and social worker Jane Addams, actress and activist Jane Fonda, and the briefly crowned queen, Lady Jane Grey. Then, there's a whole host of fictional Janes: Jane Bennet, Jane 'Eleven' Hopper, Jane Rizzoli, Miss (Jane) Marple, and Jane Porter.
Definitely one to consider if you want classic, understated, timeless, and simple, Jane was given to 1180 girls in the US in a recent year. You might also be intrigued by some of its variants, including Welsh Sian, Irish Siobhan and Sinead, Spanish Giovana and Janeth, and the Slavic Yana.
Many celebs have selected Jane as a middle name in recent years, with Lily Colins, Pippa Middleton, Jed Wyatt, and Hannah and Jeremiah Duggar among them. TV host Jimmy Kimmel used it as a first name back in 2014. Jimmy Kimmel recently named his baby girl Jane.
As of October 2026, Jane ranked #221 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #35 in 1946, Nameberry popularity #64.
Editor's take: The name Jane is a girl's name of English origin meaning "God is gracious".
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank | Births | Per million |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #322 | 1,026 | 574.4 |
| 2015 | #290 | 1,112 | 622.9 |
| 2016 | #279 | 1,135 | 640.5 |
| 2017 | #282 | 1,157 | 670.2 |
| 2018 | #290 | 1,133 | 666 |
| 2019 | #277 | 1,188 | 707.8 |
| 2020 | #264 | 1,169 | 723.1 |
| 2021 | #266 | 1,172 | 714.3 |
| 2022 | #290 | 1,089 | 664 |
| 2023 | #281 | 1,114 | 694.3 |
| 2024 | #269 | 1,180 | 728.3 |
| 2025 | #221 | 1,380 | 858.6 |
World rankings
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Jane.
- Margaret
- Louise
- Caroline
- Georgia
- Josephine
- Eliza
- Lucy
- Louisa
- Ruth
- Annie
- Molly
- Matilda
- Elizabeth
- Beatrice
- Penelope
- Claire
- Anne
- Alice
- Juliet
- Harriet
Jane on lists
Famous Janes
- Janes Means Pierce
Wife of President Franklin Pierce
- Jane Seymour
third Queen consort of Henry VIII of England
- Jane Grey
Queen of England for nine days
- Jane Austen
English novelist
- Jane Addams
American settlement worker
- Jane Wyman (born Sarah Jane Mayfield)
American singer/actress
- (Ernestine) Jane Geraldine Russell
American actress
- Jane Sanders
wife of Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders
- Jane Powell (born Suzanne Lorraine Burce)
American dancer, singer, and actress
- Jane Asher
English actress, one,time fiancee of musician Paul McCartney
- Jane Seymour Fonda
American actress
- (Valerie) Jane Morris Goodall
English primatologist
- Jane Withers
American actress
- Jane Margaret Lakes Harman
former U.S. Congresswoman from California
- Jane Seymour (born Joyce Frankenberg)
English actress
- Jane Dee Hull
American politician, 20th governor of Arizona
- Jane Clifton
Australian actress
- Jane Morgan
American singer
- Jane Marian Joseph
English composer
- (Emma) Jane Catherine Cobden
English radical politician
- Jane Krakowski
American actress
- Jane Frances Kaczmarek
American actress
- Jane Colburn Levy
American actress
- Jane Leeves
English actress
- Jane Marie Lynch
American actress/comedienne
- Jane Elliott
American educator and activist
- Jane Espenson
American TV writer and producer
- Jane Porter
Scottish novelist and playwright
- Jane Boleyn
Viscountess Rochford, sister,in,law of Queen Anne Boleyn
- Jane Adams
American actress
- Jane "Poni" Adams (born Betty Jane Bierce)
American actress
- Jane Adams
English novelist
- Calamity Jane (born Martha Jane Canary)
American frontierswoman
- Jane Ussher
New Zealand photographer
- Jane Pratt
American magazine and website editor (Jane Magazine)
- Jane Dornacker
American musician, comedienne and journalist
- Jane Urquhart
Canadian novelist and poet
- Jane Moore Sibbett
American actress
- Jane Alexander
American author and actress
- Jane Ira Bloom
American jazz musician
- Jane Green
English novelist
- Jane Olivor
American cabaret singer
- (Elizabeth) Jane Campion
New Zealand screenwriter
- Jane Hyatt Yolen
American novelist
- Jane Monheit
American jazz singer
- Jane Nossette Jarvis
American jazz pianist
- (Margaret) Jane Pauley
American news anchor and journalist
- Jane Lauder
American businesswoman of Estee Lauder
- Jane Jensen (born Jane Elizabeth Smith)
American video game designer
- Jane Therese Curtin
American actress/comedienne
- Jane Mallory Birkin
English model and originator of Hermes Birkin bag
- Jane Smiley
American novelist
- Jane Grybennikova
Ukrainian model
- Jane Zhang (born Zhang Liangying)
Chinese pop singer
- Jane Erin Carrey
daughter of actor Jim Carrey
- Jane Kimmel (b. 2014)
daughter of comedian Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney
Jane in pop culture
- "Jane Eyre
" novel by Charlotte Bronte and its main character
- Jane Porter
character in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan series
- Jane Bennet
eldest sister in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"
- Jane Fairfax
character in Jane Austen's "Emma"
- Jane "Eleven" Hopper
character on TV's "Stranger Things"
- Mary Jane Watson
character in the Marvel Universe
- Jane Foster
character in the Thor series
- Jane Chapman
character in "Big Little Lies"
- Jane Gloriana Villanueva
character on TV's "Jane the Virgin"
- Jane Kano
character in 2019's "Charlie's Angels"
- Jane "Janie" Johnson aka Jennie Spring
main character in Caroline B. Cooney's "The Face on the Milk Carton"
- Jane Gallagher
character in J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye"
- Jane Marple
character in novels by Agatha Christie
- Jane Murdstone
David Copperfield's step,aunt in Charles Dicken's "David Copperfield"
- Jane Rizzoli
character on TV's "Rizzoli & Isles"
- Jane Penvellyn
character in the HER Interactive video game, "Curse of Blackmoor Manor"
- Jane Sloan
character in "The Bold Type"
- Jane Burnham
character in movie "American Beauty"
- Jane
Anne Deveraux, character on TV's "The Originals"
- Jane Quimby
main character on TV's "Jane by Design"
- Jane Bingum
main character on TV's "Drop Dead Diva"
- Jane and the Dragon
book series by Martin Baynton and TV show
- Jane
Wendy's daughter in Disney's "Return to Neverland'
- Jane Penderwick
character in The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall
- "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman"
novel by Ernest J. Gaines and movie
- Jane Sterling
character on TV's "Mad Men"
- Jane
character in "Half,Magic" by Edward Eager
- Jane Nichols
main character in movie "27 Dresses"
- Jane
character in the Twilight Saga
- Jane Moffat
character in "The Moffats" series by Eleanor Estes
- Jane Margolis
character on TV's "Breaking Bad"
- Jane Andrews
character in "Anne of Green Gables" by L.M. Montgomery
- Jane Kerkovich
Williams, character on TV' "Happy Endings"
- Jane Lane
character in animated series Daria
- Jane Morgan
character in movie "My Babysitter's a Vampire"
- Jane Crocker
character in web comic "Homestuck"
- Jane Larkin
character in "Call Him Demon"
- Jane
character in "Will Grayson, Will Grayson," by John Green and David Levithan
- Patrick Jane
main character on TV's "The Mentalist"
- Blue "Jane" Sargent
character in "The Raven Cycle"
- Jane Banks
character in "Mary Poppins"
- Jane Beale
character in TV's "EastEnders"
- Jane
Fairy Godmother's daughter in Disney's "Descendants"
- Jane
main character in "The Iron Dragon's Daughter"
- Jane
main character in Jane in Bloom by Deborah Lytton.
- Sister Jane Ingalls
character on Netflix's original series "Orange Is the New Black"
- Jane
character in the Line Webtoon "Winter Woods"
- Jane "Janie" Scott
character in The Apothecary
- Jane Boolittle
daughter of Doctor Boolittle in "Monster High" show and series
- Jane
character in "On the Road"
- Jane Norman
clothing company
- "Jane
" song by the Barenaked Ladies
- Mary Jane
slang for marijuana
- Plain Jane
slang for an ordinary woman
- Jane Doe
stand,in name for a woman
- Jane's Addiction
American alternative rock band
- Dear Jane
Hong Kong rock band
- "G.I. Jane
" 1997 movie
- 'Soldier Jane'
song by Beck
- "Queen Jane Approximately
" song by Bob Dylan
- "Jane
Jane, Jane," song by the Kingston Trio
- "Sweet Jane
" song by the Velvet Underground
- Jane Cobalt
character in the Addicted Series
- Jane Jetson
from the cartoon series "The Jetsons"
- Jane Tiberia Kirk
Starship Captain in Star Trek comics by IDW Publishing, Jane Tiberia Kirk is a female version of Captain James Tiberius Kirk
- Jane the Killer
Creepypasta
- Jane Ryan
main character in movie "New York Minute"
- Jane "Alice" Jones
character in movie "Closer"
- "The Woeful Lamentation of Jane Shore"
17th century Broadside Ballad
Variations & nicknames
- JeanneFrench