Janet
Girl nameJanet has been given to 558,291 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It peaked in 1954.
Meaning & origin /ˈd͡ʒænɪt/
From Jane + -et, q.v. Chiefly Scottish until the 19th century. Doublet of Jeanette, Jeannette, Juanita, Shanae, and Sinead.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
558,291
Peak year
1954 (18,507 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1880
10-year trend
▼ -61%
Gender split
100% girls / 0% boys
Rank through the decades
Janet's rank among U.S. girl names at 25-year milestones.
| Year | Girls rank |
|---|---|
| 1900 | #326 |
| 1925 | #111 |
| 1950 | #18 |
| 1975 | #139 |
| 2000 | #412 |
— means outside the top 1000 that year.
Spellings & variants
Names one letter away from Janet — alternate spellings parents actually use.
Famous people named Janet
Janet Jackson
American singer, songwriter, dancer and actress (born 1966)
Janet Yellen
78th United States Secretary of the Treasury
Janet Gaynor
American actress (1906–1984)
Janet Leigh
American actress (1927–2004)
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Janet.
FAQ
How popular is the name Janet?
Janet has been given to 558,291 babies in the U.S. since 1880. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name Janet peak?
Janet peaked in 1954, when 18,507 babies were given the name.
Is Janet a girl or boy name?
Janet is primarily a girl name (100% of babies named Janet are girls).
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