Janis
A feminine name of Greek origin meaning "God's gift" or "divine".
Name Census estimates that about 28,838 living Americans carry the first name Janis. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Janis today is around 69 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Janis births was 1947 (3,217 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Janis. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Janis with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Although Janis is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 174 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • The typical person named Janis is about 69 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Janis' were born before 1967.
- • Compared to the 1950s, recent registration numbers for Janis have dropped to less than 5% of what they once were.
People living today
29K
~ 1 in 11,886 Americans
Peak year
1947
3,217 babies that year
Average age
69
years old
2023 SSA rank
#9,163
Tracked since 1909
Census
Janis in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 38,446 people with the first name Janis, which placed it at #1,078 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#1,078
National first-name rank
People counted
38K
38,446 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
12.7
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
87.2% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Janis
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Janis is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Janis described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Janis at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White87.2% · 33,528
- Black or African American5.8% · 2,226
- Hispanic or Latino2.7% · 1,046
- Asian and Pacific Islander1.9% · 728
- Two or more races1.8% · 705
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.6% · 213
Gender
Gender distribution for Janis
Out of the 49,004 babies given the name Janis since 1880, 99.6% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Janis as a male name
- Ranked #11,413 in 2023
- 6 male births in 2023
- Peak: 1947 (12 births)
Janis as a female name
- Ranked #9,163 in 2024
- 11 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1947 (3,205 births)
2020 Census snapshot
In the 2020 Census sex table, Janis leans strongly female. 37,987 people counted with this name were female (98.8%), compared with 449 male bearers (1.2%).
Popularity
Janis: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Janis from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 18,721 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Janis by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Janis during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Janis' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 50 states and territories. California, Texas, Illinois recorded the most babies named Janis, while Nevada, Alaska, Delaware recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 900 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Janis
The name Janis has its roots in the ancient Greek language, derived from the word "Ioannes," meaning "Yahweh is gracious." This name gained popularity during the early days of Christianity and was widely used across various regions of the Mediterranean and Europe.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Janis can be traced back to the 4th century AD, when it was mentioned in the writings of the Greek philosopher and theologian John Chrysostom. The name also appeared in various ecclesiastical records and texts from the Byzantine period, solidifying its association with the Christian faith.
During the Middle Ages, the name Janis spread across Europe, particularly in regions with strong Hellenic cultural influences, such as Italy and parts of the Balkans. It was commonly used by both clergy and laypeople, reflecting the enduring popularity of names with religious connotations.
As the centuries passed, the name Janis underwent various linguistic transformations, adapting to the phonetic patterns of different languages. In some regions, it evolved into forms like Janis, Jannis, or Yiannis, while in others, it took on variations like Giovanni or Juan.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Janis. One of the earliest recorded figures was Janis Laskaris (c. 1250-1284), a prominent Byzantine nobleman and military leader who played a crucial role in the defense of Constantinople during the late 13th century.
In the realm of arts and literature, Janis Joplin (1943-1970) was a legendary American singer-songwriter and one of the most influential voices of the 1960s counterculture movement. Her raw, powerful vocals and unique stage presence made her an iconic figure in the history of rock music.
Another renowned bearer of the name was Janis Paige (born 1922), an American actress and singer who enjoyed a successful career in Hollywood during the Golden Age of cinema. She is best remembered for her roles in musicals and comedies, showcasing her versatility as a performer.
In the world of sports, Janis Shunga (born 1985) is a Latvian professional basketball player who has represented his country in numerous international competitions, including the EuroBasket and the Summer Olympics.
Lastly, Janis Ian (born 1951) is an American singer-songwriter and author, best known for her hit single "At Seventeen," which earned her a Grammy Award. Her poetic and introspective lyrics have resonated with audiences across generations.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Janis
People
Janis + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Janis as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Janis: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Janis?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 28,838 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Janis going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 11,886 US residents.
Is Janis a common name?
We classify Janis as "Uncommon". It ranks above 98.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 49,004 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Janis most popular?
The single biggest year for Janis was 1947, when 3,217 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Janis is about 69 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Janis in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 38,446 people with the name Janis, or 12.73 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #1,078 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Janis in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Janis?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Janis leans strongly female. 37,987 people counted with this name were female (98.8%), compared with 449 male bearers (1.2%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Janis?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Janis is White at 87.2%. The next largest groups are Black (5.8%) and Hispanic (2.7%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Janis most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Janis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 87.2% (33,528 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Janis in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Janis a female name?
Yes, 99.6% of people registered as Janis in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Janis still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Janis in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Janis can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are called Janis?
You can see how many Americans are named Janis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.