Jane is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Jane means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Jane across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Jane has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Jane is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “God is gracious”. a feminine form of John.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 381,009 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,233 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 2,671 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 298 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 4,805 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 4,932 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Jane per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1947 (9,961/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (274/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1974 (132/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (112/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (27/yr).
Jane has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1947, when it ranked #66 nationally (given to 9,961 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1940s.
Joan · Jean · June · Juan · Joann · Joanne · Gene · Jennie
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