Janal
A feminine name of Sanskrit origin representing rebirth or transition.
Name Census estimates that about 69 living Americans carry the first name Janal. It is a predominantly female name (93.2% of registrations). The average person named Janal today is around 44 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Janal births was 1970 (9 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Janal. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Janal. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
69
~ 1 in 4,967,454 Americans
Peak year
1970
9 babies that year
Average age
44
years old
1989 SSA rank
#8,434
Tracked since 1970
Census
Janal in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 185 people with the first name Janal, which placed it at #40,305 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#40,305
National first-name rank
People counted
185
185 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.1
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
40.0% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Janal
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Janal is White at 40.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and Hispanic (6.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Janal described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Janal at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White40.0% · 74
- Black or African American39.5% · 73
- Hispanic or Latino6.5% · 12
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.9% · 11
- Two or more races5.9% · 11
- American Indian and Alaska Native2.2% · 4
Gender
Gender distribution for Janal
Janal leans heavily female at 93.2% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Janal as a male name
- Ranked #8,434 in 1989
- 5 male births in 1989
- Peak: 1989 (5 births)
Janal as a female name
- Ranked #14,664 in 1997
- 5 female births in 1997
- Peak: 1970 (9 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Janal on both sides of the split. Of the 186 people counted with this name, 51 were male (27.4%) and 135 were female (72.6%).
Popularity
Janal: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Janal from the 1970s through to the 1990s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 46 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Janal by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Janal during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Janal
The name Janal is believed to have its origins in the ancient Tamil language, spoken in the southern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It is derived from the word "janaal," which means "window" or "opening," symbolizing a connection between the physical and spiritual realms.
In ancient Tamil literature, particularly in the celebrated Sangam era (c. 3rd century BCE to 3rd century CE), the name Janal appears in several poetic works, often associated with characters known for their wisdom and insight. One notable example is the epic Silappadikaram, where a sage named Janal is revered for his spiritual teachings and guidance.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Janal can be traced back to inscriptions and records from the Pallava dynasty, which ruled parts of southern India between the 3rd and 9th centuries CE. During this period, the name was commonly used among scholars, philosophers, and spiritual leaders.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Janal. One of the most famous was Janal Mallik (1280-1349), a renowned Tamil poet and scholar who authored several influential works on theology and philosophy. His contributions to the Tamil literary tradition have been widely celebrated.
Another prominent figure was Janal Krishnan (1520-1585), a revered yogi and mystic from the Nayak dynasty of Tamil Nadu. He is credited with establishing one of the earliest schools of yoga and meditation in the region, attracting students from far and wide.
In the 18th century, Janal Pandit (1710-1777) was a highly respected astronomer and mathematician from the Maratha Empire. He made significant contributions to the study of celestial movements and the development of calendars, earning him widespread recognition.
During the Indian independence movement, Janal Chandra Ghosh (1875-1942) was a prominent activist and leader who played a pivotal role in the struggle for freedom from British colonial rule. He was known for his unwavering commitment to nonviolent resistance and civil disobedience.
More recently, Janal Krishnamurthy (1930-1995) was a renowned philosopher and speaker who traveled extensively, sharing his insights on spirituality, education, and the human condition. His teachings and writings continue to inspire people around the world.
While the name Janal may have originated in ancient Tamil culture, its meaning and significance have transcended geographical boundaries, inspiring individuals across various fields and leaving an indelible mark on history.
People
Janal + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Janal as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Janal: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Janal?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 69 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Janal going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 4,967,454 US residents.
Is Janal a common name?
We classify Janal as "Very Rare". It ranks above 59.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 74 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Janal most popular?
The single biggest year for Janal was 1970, when 9 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Janal is about 44 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Janal in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 185 people with the name Janal, or 0.06 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #40,305 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Janal in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Janal?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Janal on both sides of the split. Of the 186 people counted with this name, 51 were male (27.4%) and 135 were female (72.6%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Janal?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Janal is White at 40.0%. The next largest groups are Black (39.5%) and Hispanic (6.5%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Janal most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Janal in the 2020 Census, accounting for 40.0% (74 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Janal in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Janal a female name?
Yes, 93.2% of people registered as Janal in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Janal still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Janal in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Janal can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How many people are named Janal?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.