Jane

Did you know?

A few things about Jane you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Jane

Jane Austen

English novelist (1775–1817)

Choose Jane and your child shares a first name with Jane Austen, an English novelist. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Jane, like who?” Jane Austen's Wikipedia article is available in 203 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Jane Austen on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Cassandra Austen, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 1,165 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Jane, 1,380 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Jane would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryJane has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Janes, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1946, when it ranked #35. Today it's #221, so it could be due a comeback.
• 📈Then vs nowJane is 2.4× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 2,807 baby girls; in 2025, about 1 in 1,165.
• 🚀TrendJane has climbed 42 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #221. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedJane is most popular in Utah, where it ranks #26, followed by Wyoming (#58) and Idaho (#89). It makes the top 1,000 in almost every state.
• 💬MeaningJane is an English form of John, which means “God is gracious”. Our records link it to English and Hebrew roots.

About the name Jane

Jane is a girl name of English and Hebrew origin meaning “God is gracious”. It has 4 letters and 1 syllable, starting with J and ending in “-ane”. US birth records list Jane for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked #35 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #221, with 1,380 babies.

Origin:English namesHebrew names