Jane

Primarily a girl's name · 100% girls

Meaning

Jane is a feminine given name. It is the English form of Jehanne, the Old French feminine form of Iohannes, a Latin form of the Greek name Ἰωάννης, which is ultimately derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן, a short form of the name יְהוֹחָנָן, meaning "Yahweh is merciful".

From Wikipedia

Jane first appears in the data in 1996 and has been recorded in 21 different years as a girl's name. Its single biggest year was 1996 with 112 babies (rank #316 that year). It was not in the 2024 data. The name has been declining over the last five years.

Numerology of Jane

In Pythagorean numerology, every letter has a value from 1 to 9. Adding the letters of Jane yields these three numbers — a playful read on the name's character.

3Destiny numberThe creativeExpressive, sociable, lifted by playful energy.Sum of every letter. The overall character a name carries.
6Soul urgeThe carerNurturing, responsible, family at the centre.Sum of the vowels — what's said to drive the heart.
6PersonalityThe carerNurturing, responsible, family at the centre.Sum of the consonants — the outer impression.

1,018

Total babies (all years)

Years in the data

112

Peak in a single year

Popularity Over Time — Girls

Also a character in

In Jane Austen: Jane Bennet — Elizabeth's elder sister
In Anne of Green Gables: Jane Andrews — Anne's schoolfriend
In The Brontë Novels: Jane Eyre — Charlotte's governess heroine
In Agatha Christie: Miss Jane Marple — St Mary Mead's village sleuth

Famous people named Jane

Jane Austenshort story writer · b. 1775
Jane Fondaautobiographer · b. 1937
Jane Goodallethologist · b. 1934
Jane Addamsfeminist · b. 1860
Jane Wymanactor · b. 1917

Share your Jane story

Why did you choose this name — or what does it mean to you? Approved stories appear on this page.

More popular girls' names

Other girls' names starting with J

Year-by-Year Detail

Rank is among all girls' names registered that year.

Year	Babies	Rank
1996	112	#316
1997	80	#399
1998	81	#394
1999	86	#376
2000	59	#501
2001	70	#440
2002	55	#544
2003	43	#674
2004	35	#798
2005	43	#714
2006	39	#789
2007	46	#733
2008	31	#1,005
2009	38	#887
2010	32	#1,052
2011	21	#1,458
2012	31	#1,115
2013	28	#1,235
2014	36	#1,009
2015	28	#1,226
2016	24	#1,397