January
Girl nameJanuary has been given to 2,170 babies in the U.S. since 1951. It peaked in 1978. In 2025, about 1 in 178,585 girls was named January.
Meaning & origin /ˈd͡ʒæn.jʊ.ə.ɹi/
From Middle English Januarie, januari, re-latinised forms of Middle English Janevere, Ieneuer, from Anglo-Norman genever, from Latin Iānuārius (“(month) of Janus”), a compound of Iānus ("Janus") + -ārius (adjectival suffix), with the first element perhaps from the Proto-Indo-European root *yeh₂- (“to go”). Doublet of Gennaro.
Origin: month names < English
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Popularity over time births per year, 1880–2025
Total babies
2,170
Peak year
1978 (257 babies)
Rank in 2025
Below top 1000
First recorded
1951
10-year trend
▼ -59%
Gender split
All girls
Names with a similar vibe
Same primary gender, peaked around the same years, and roughly as common as January.
FAQ
How popular is the name January?
January has been given to 2,170 babies in the U.S. since 1951. It ranked below the top 1000 in 2025.
When did the name January peak?
January peaked in 1978, when 257 babies were given the name.
Is January a girl or boy name?
January is primarily a girl name (100% of babies named January are girls).
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