Janet

Meaning: God is gracious
Origin: Hebrew — Medieval diminutive of Jane

Girl's name · #2791 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Janet belongs to an older America first — it reached #16 back in 1938 — yet it still appears in today's records at #2791. About 557,000 girls have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Janet is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 3 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Janet ranks in other countries and regions.

#369 in Mexico (2024) · #2,542 in Italy (2024) · #2,730 in Canada (2025) · #3,331 in Ecuador (2025) · #4,867 in England & Wales (2025) · #4,917 in France (2025) · #2,689 in Austria (2024) · #1,586 in Sweden (2023) · #896 in Ireland (2018) · #465 in Puerto Rico (2002) · #525 in Scotland (2000) · #344 in N. Ireland (1999) and 4 more.

Famous Janets

Janet Jackson — American singer, songwriter, and dancer (born 1966)
Janet Yellen — American economist and government official (born 1946)
Janet Gaynor — American actress (1906–1984)
Janet Leigh — American actress and author (1927–2004)
Janet McTeer — British actress (born 1961)
Janet Reno — American lawyer and public official (1938–2016)
Janet Napolitano — American politician, lawyer, and academic administrator (born 1957)
Janet Suzman — British actress (born 1939)
Janet Frame — New Zealand author (1924–2004)
Janet Jagan — President of Guyana from 1997 to 1999 (1920–2009)

In stories & tradition

Janet (Wasp) — Fictional character in Marvel Comics
Janet Fraiser^it — Stargate SG-1 (TV series)
Janet Mitchell — Fictional character from EastEnders

What Janets become

Among 1,488 notable people named Janet:

Scientists & scholars appear 1.36× more often than among typical names — e.g. Janet Akyüz Mattei, Turkish astronomer (1943–2004).

Similar names: Carol · Janice · Joanne · Jeanette · Judy · Jackie

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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