Jane
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
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.
Jane is also given to boys.
Pronounced JAYN.
As of October 2026, Jane ranked #221 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #35 in 1946, Nameberry popularity #83.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #322 | 1,026 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #290 | 1,112 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #279 | 1,135 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #282 | 1,157 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #290 | 1,133 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #277 | 1,188 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #264 | 1,169 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #266 | 1,172 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #290 | 1,089 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #281 | 1,114 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #269 | 1,180 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #221 | 1,380 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Jane for girls
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Jane.
Jane on lists
Famous Janes
- Janes Means PierceGirl
Wife of President Franklin Pierce
- Jane SeymourGirl
third Queen consort of Henry VIII of England
- Jane GreyGirl
Queen of England for nine days
- Jane AustenGirl
English novelist
- Jane AddamsGirl
American settlement worker
- Jane Wyman (born Sarah Jane Mayfield)Girl
American singer/actress
- (Ernestine) Jane Geraldine RussellGirl
American actress
- Jane SandersGirl
wife of Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders
- Jane Powell (born Suzanne Lorraine Burce)Girl
American dancer, singer, and actress
- Jane AsherGirl
English actress, one,time fiancee of musician Paul McCartney
- Jane Seymour FondaGirl
American actress
- (Valerie) Jane Morris GoodallGirl
English primatologist
- Jane WithersGirl
American actress
- Jane Margaret Lakes HarmanGirl
former U.S. Congresswoman from California
- Jane Seymour (born Joyce Frankenberg)Girl
English actress
- Jane Dee HullGirl
American politician, 20th governor of Arizona
- Jane CliftonGirl
Australian actress
- Jane MorganGirl
American singer
- Jane Marian JosephGirl
English composer
- (Emma) Jane Catherine CobdenGirl
English radical politician
- Jane KrakowskiGirl
American actress
- Jane Frances KaczmarekGirl
American actress
- Jane Colburn LevyGirl
American actress
- Jane LeevesGirl
English actress
- Jane Marie LynchGirl
American actress/comedienne
- Jane ElliottGirl
American educator and activist
- Jane EspensonGirl
American TV writer and producer
- Jane PorterGirl
Scottish novelist and playwright
- Jane BoleynGirl
Viscountess Rochford, sister,in,law of Queen Anne Boleyn
- Jane AdamsGirl
American actress
- Jane "Poni" Adams (born Betty Jane Bierce)Girl
American actress
- Jane AdamsGirl
English novelist
- Calamity Jane (born Martha Jane Canary)Girl
American frontierswoman
- Jane UssherGirl
New Zealand photographer
- Jane PrattGirl
American magazine and website editor (Jane Magazine)
- Jane DornackerGirl
American musician, comedienne and journalist
- Jane UrquhartGirl
Canadian novelist and poet
- Jane Moore SibbettGirl
American actress
- Jane AlexanderGirl
American author and actress
- Jane Ira BloomGirl
American jazz musician
- Jane GreenGirl
English novelist
- Jane OlivorGirl
American cabaret singer
- (Elizabeth) Jane CampionGirl
New Zealand screenwriter
- Jane Hyatt YolenGirl
American novelist
- Jane MonheitGirl
American jazz singer
- Jane Nossette JarvisGirl
American jazz pianist
- (Margaret) Jane PauleyGirl
American news anchor and journalist
- Jane LauderGirl
American businesswoman of Estee Lauder
- Jane Jensen (born Jane Elizabeth Smith)Girl
American video game designer
- Jane Therese CurtinGirl
American actress/comedienne
- Jane Mallory BirkinGirl
English model and originator of Hermes Birkin bag
- Jane SmileyGirl
American novelist
- Jane GrybennikovaGirl
Ukrainian model
- Jane Zhang (born Zhang Liangying)Girl
Chinese pop singer
- Jane Erin CarreyGirl
daughter of actor Jim Carrey
- Jane Kimmel (b. 2014)Girl
daughter of comedian Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney
Jane in pop culture
- "Jane EyreGirl
" novel by Charlotte Bronte and its main character
- Jane PorterGirl
character in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan series
- Jane BennetGirl
eldest sister in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"
- Jane FairfaxGirl
character in Jane Austen's "Emma"
- Jane "Eleven" HopperGirl
character on TV's "Stranger Things"
- Mary Jane WatsonGirl
character in the Marvel Universe
- Jane FosterGirl
character in the Thor series
- Jane ChapmanGirl
character in "Big Little Lies"
- Jane Gloriana VillanuevaGirl
character on TV's "Jane the Virgin"
- Jane KanoGirl
character in 2019's "Charlie's Angels"
- Jane "Janie" Johnson aka Jennie SpringGirl
main character in Caroline B. Cooney's "The Face on the Milk Carton"
- Jane GallagherGirl
character in J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye"
- Jane MarpleGirl
character in novels by Agatha Christie
- Jane MurdstoneGirl
David Copperfield's step,aunt in Charles Dicken's "David Copperfield"
- Jane RizzoliGirl
character on TV's "Rizzoli & Isles"
- Jane PenvellynGirl
character in the HER Interactive video game, "Curse of Blackmoor Manor"
- Jane SloanGirl
character in "The Bold Type"
- Jane BurnhamGirl
character in movie "American Beauty"
- JaneGirl
Anne Deveraux, character on TV's "The Originals"
- Jane QuimbyGirl
main character on TV's "Jane by Design"
- Jane BingumGirl
main character on TV's "Drop Dead Diva"
- Jane and the DragonGirl
book series by Martin Baynton and TV show
- JaneGirl
Wendy's daughter in Disney's "Return to Neverland'
- Jane PenderwickGirl
character in The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall
- "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman"Girl
novel by Ernest J. Gaines and movie
- Jane SterlingGirl
character on TV's "Mad Men"
- JaneGirl
character in "Half,Magic" by Edward Eager
- Jane NicholsGirl
main character in movie "27 Dresses"
- JaneGirl
character in the Twilight Saga
- Jane MoffatGirl
character in "The Moffats" series by Eleanor Estes
- Jane MargolisGirl
character on TV's "Breaking Bad"
- Jane AndrewsGirl
character in "Anne of Green Gables" by L.M. Montgomery
- Jane KerkovichGirl
Williams, character on TV' "Happy Endings"
- Jane LaneGirl
character in animated series Daria
- Jane MorganGirl
character in movie "My Babysitter's a Vampire"
- Jane CrockerGirl
character in web comic "Homestuck"
- Jane LarkinGirl
character in "Call Him Demon"
- JaneGirl
character in "Will Grayson, Will Grayson," by John Green and David Levithan
- Patrick JaneGirl
main character on TV's "The Mentalist"
- Blue "Jane" SargentGirl
character in "The Raven Cycle"
- Jane BanksGirl
character in "Mary Poppins"
- Jane BealeGirl
character in TV's "EastEnders"
- JaneGirl
Fairy Godmother's daughter in Disney's "Descendants"
- JaneGirl
main character in "The Iron Dragon's Daughter"
- JaneGirl
main character in Jane in Bloom by Deborah Lytton.
- Sister Jane IngallsGirl
character on Netflix's original series "Orange Is the New Black"
- JaneGirl
character in the Line Webtoon "Winter Woods"
- Jane "Janie" ScottGirl
character in The Apothecary
- Jane BoolittleGirl
daughter of Doctor Boolittle in "Monster High" show and series
- JaneGirl
character in "On the Road"
- Jane NormanGirl
clothing company
- "JaneGirl
" song by the Barenaked Ladies
- Mary JaneGirl
slang for marijuana
- Plain JaneGirl
slang for an ordinary woman
- Jane DoeGirl
stand,in name for a woman
- Jane's AddictionGirl
American alternative rock band
- Dear JaneGirl
Hong Kong rock band
- "G.I. JaneGirl
" 1997 movie
- 'Soldier Jane'Girl
song by Beck
- "Queen Jane ApproximatelyGirl
" song by Bob Dylan
- "JaneGirl
Jane, Jane," song by the Kingston Trio
- "Sweet JaneGirl
" song by the Velvet Underground
- Jane CobaltGirl
character in the Addicted Series
- Jane JetsonGirl
from the cartoon series "The Jetsons"
- Jane Tiberia KirkGirl
Starship Captain in Star Trek comics by IDW Publishing, Jane Tiberia Kirk is a female version of Captain James Tiberius Kirk
- Jane the KillerGirl
Creepypasta
- Jane RyanGirl
main character in movie "New York Minute"
- Jane "Alice" JonesGirl
character in movie "Closer"
- "The Woeful Lamentation of Jane Shore"Girl
17th century Broadside Ballad
Variations & nicknames
More nicknames
- JaineGirl
- JaineeGirl
- JanGirl
- JananelleGirl
- JanayaGirl
- JanayeGirl
- JaneanGirl
- JaneaneGirl
- JaneeGirl
- JaneenGirl
- JanelGirl
- JanelaGirl
- JanelbaGirl
- JanellaGirl
- JanessaGirl
- JanetGirl
- JanetaGirl
- JanethGirl
- JanettaGirl
- JanetteGirl
- JaneyGirl
- JaniGirl
- JaniaGirl
- JaniceGirl
- JaniciaGirl
- JanieGirl
- JaninaGirl
- JanineGirl
- JanisGirl
- JaniseGirl
- JannetteGirl
- JayneGirl
- JayniGirl
- JaynieGirl
- JenniceGirl
- JoniGirl
- JonniGirl
- JuanettaGirl
- JuanishaGirl
- JuanitaGirl