Janet
2025 SSA
Below 5 births
About Janet
Janet started as a pet form of Jane but has long been used independently. Jane is a feminine form of John, which derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan. Janet can also be considered a variation of Jeannette, a derivative of Joan and another feminization of the name John.
Five hundred years ago Janet was a royal favorite in Scotland, where it remains a common name. Here in the US, however, Janet has been on a downhill slide since the 1960s, with Grandma Janet now knitting booties for baby Janae. Or even, increasingly, Jane.
There have been several Janets recently involved in US government, Janet is a leading member of the Jackson family, and Janet Evanovich is a bestselling author; and in the past there have been first Best Actress Oscar winner Gaynor, Psycho actor Janet Leigh, and the mother of Jackie Kennedy.
There are several attractive foreign versions that might prove appealing alternate namesakes for Gran Jan—Gianetta, Zaneta, Janneth, Sinead or Janica.
Janet is also given to boys.
Pronounced JAN-ut.
As of October 2026, Janet ranked #2791 in US births in 2025 SSA, peaked at #16 in 1938, Nameberry popularity #870.
Popularity & trends
Data table
| Year | US rank · girls | Births · girls | US rank · boys | Births · boys |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | #1,378 | 168 | — | 0 |
| 2015 | #1,489 | 154 | — | 0 |
| 2016 | #1,427 | 162 | — | 0 |
| 2017 | #1,358 | 171 | — | 0 |
| 2018 | #1,408 | 159 | — | 0 |
| 2019 | #1,703 | 123 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | #2,024 | 92 | — | 0 |
| 2021 | #2,077 | 92 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | #1,935 | 103 | — | 0 |
| 2023 | #2,027 | 97 | — | 0 |
| 2024 | #2,441 | 74 | — | 0 |
| 2025 | #2,791 | 61 | — | 0 |
World rankings
Janet for girls
Similar names
These 20 names were selected by our users looking for other names like Janet.
Janet on lists
Famous Janets
- Janet Damita Jo JacksonGirl
American pop singer
- Janet Leigh (born Jeanette Helen Morrison)Girl
American actress
- Laura Augusta "Janet" GaynorGirl
American actress
- Janet Wood RenoGirl
former U.S. attorney general
- Janet Ann NapolitanoGirl
former U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security and Arizona governor
- Janet McTeerGirl
English actress
- Janet Beth EvansGirl
American Olympic swimmer
- Janet Norton Lee BouvierGirl
mother of U.S. First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis
- Janet EvanovichGirl
American novelist
- Janet Susan Mary "Viva" HoffmanGirl
American actress
- Janet E. A. HenfreyGirl
English actress
- Janet MaslinGirl
American journalist and movie critic
- Janet LeeGirl
Taiwanese,American tennis player
- Janet Vera (Ardern/Bull) StreetGirl
Porter, English media personality
- Jeanette Marie "Janet" WaldoGirl
American actress
- Janet Carol WolfenbargerGirl
highest,ranking woman in the U.S. Air Force
- Janet WrightGirl
Canadian actress and director
- Janet Louise YellenGirl
American economist and Federal Reserve Chair
- Janet Meakin PoorGirl
American landscape designer
- Janet Elizabeth LennonGirl
singer with American girl group The Lennon Sisters
- Janet LynnGirl
American Olympic figure skater
- Janet Rosenberg JaganGirl
6th President of Guyana
- Janet CarrGirl
Australian TV producer
- Janet Michelle EllisGirl
English TV presenter and actress
- Janet Fielding (born Janet Claire Mahoney)Girl
English actress
- Janet Steeper BurkleGirl
great,grandniece of the Wright brothers and wife of billionaire Ron Burkle
- Janet Kay (born Janet Bogle)Girl
English singer and actress
- Janet SuzmanGirl
South African actress
- Janet AndrewarthaGirl
Australian actress
Janet in pop culture
- Janet ScottGirl
a police officer and titular character in the British drama "Scott & Bailey", played by Lesley Sharp
- Janet WeissGirl
character in "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"
- Janet van DyneGirl
the Wasp in the Marvel Comics
- Interplanet JanetGirl
character on TV's "Schoolhouse Rock"
- Janet WoodGirl
character on TV's "Three's Company"
- Janet and JohnGirl
main characters in British postwar primary school reading textbooks
- JanetGirl
character in The Magic School Bus series
- Janet KimGirl
main character on TV's "Kim's Convenience"
- Janet "Jay" KyleGirl
character on TV's "My Wife and Kids"
- Janet LeachGirl
character in the movie "Appropriate Adult"
- Janet "Butterfly" TaylorGirl
character in the Orphans series by V.C. Andrews
- Janet ArmstrongGirl
character in G. A. Henty's, Both Sides the Border
- Janet RobinsGirl
character in the "St. Clare" book series by Enid Blyton
- Janet SmytheGirl
character on TV's "Best Friends Whenever"
- Janet van de GraaffGirl
character in musical "The Drowsy Chaperone"
- "Janet KingGirl
" Australian TV drama and its main character
- "Janet's Big Dance NumberGirl
" song by Frank Zappa
- JanetGirl
character in American sitcom "The Good Place"
- Janet (Jenny) Flora Arabella Murray née FraserGirl
character in Outlander
- "Fair Janet"Girl
A ballad in the 19th century collection "The Child Ballads"
- Janet “Jan” BradyGirl
from “The Brady Bunch”