Janis is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Janis means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Janis across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Janis has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Janis is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “God is gracious”. A variant of Janice, an elaboration of Jane.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 49,015 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 41 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 68 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 46 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 Janis per year, United States (1909 to 2025). United States peaked in 1947 (3,217/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1978 (11/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1985 (10/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2012 (8/yr).
Janis has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1947, when it ranked #208 nationally (given to 3,217 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1940s.
Janice · Jonas · Janessa · Junius · Jones · Janyce · Junious · Jencie
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