Janis
Girl nameJanis has been given to 49,015 babies in the U.S. since 1909. It peaked in 1947.
Meaning & origin /ˈd͡ʒænɪs/
A variant of Janice. Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Janice, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
49,015
Peak year
1947 (3,217 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1909
10-year trend
▼ -67%
Gender split
100% girls / 0% boys
Rank through the decades
Janis's rank among U.S. girl names at 25-year milestones.
| Year | Girls rank |
|---|---|
| 1925 | #620 |
| 1950 | #136 |
| 1975 | #864 |
— means outside the top 1000 that year.
Spellings & variants
Names one letter away from Janis — alternate spellings parents actually use.
Famous people named Janis
Janis Joplin
American singer (1943–1970)
Janis Ian
American singer-songwriter
Notability data from Wikidata (CC0).
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as Janis.
FAQ
How popular is the name Janis?
Janis has been given to 49,015 babies in the U.S. since 1909. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name Janis peak?
Janis peaked in 1947, when 3,217 babies were given the name.
Is Janis a girl or boy name?
Janis is primarily a girl name (100% of babies named Janis are girls).
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