Janeia
A feminine given name derived from the English word "Jane", potentially meaning "gift from God".
Name Census estimates that about 38 living Americans carry the first name Janeia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Janeia today is around 30 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Janeia births was 2003 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Janeia. 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 Janeia. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
38
~ 1 in 9,019,851 Americans
Peak year
2003
7 babies that year
Average age
30
years old
2007 SSA rank
#18,792
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Janeia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Janeia from the 1970s through to the 2000s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 17 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Janeia 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 Janeia 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 Janeia
The name Janeia is a feminine given name of uncertain origin, but it is believed to be derived from the Latin word "ianua," meaning "door" or "gateway." This name has been used in various cultures and time periods with slight variations in spelling.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Janeia can be found in ancient Roman texts, where it was sometimes used as a variant of the name Ianuaria, which was associated with the Roman god Janus, the deity of beginnings and transitions. The name Janeia may have been used to honor this deity or to symbolize the idea of new beginnings and opportunities.
During the Middle Ages, the name Janeia appeared in various European countries, particularly in Italy and France. In Italy, it was sometimes spelled as "Gianeia" or "Gianneia," while in France, it was often written as "Janée" or "Janéia." These variations in spelling likely emerged due to regional dialects and local adaptations.
One notable historical figure bearing the name Janeia was Janeia degli Ubaldini, an Italian noblewoman who lived in the 13th century. She was known for her involvement in political affairs and her influence within the Ghibelline faction during the conflicts between the Guelphs and Ghibellines in medieval Italy.
Another individual with the name Janeia was Janeia de Montfort, a French noblewoman who lived in the 12th century. She was the daughter of Simon de Montfort, a prominent figure during the Albigensian Crusade against the Cathars in southern France.
In the realm of literature, the name Janeia appears in some works of fiction from the 19th and early 20th centuries. For instance, Janeia was a character in the novel "The Daughters of Danaus" by Mona Caird, a Scottish novelist and feminist writer who lived from 1854 to 1932.
Additionally, Janeia Marescotti was an Italian actress and playwright who lived from 1885 to 1967. She was known for her contributions to the Italian theatre scene and her performances in various plays and films.
Lastly, Janeia Crispo was a Brazilian writer and journalist who lived from 1925 to 2008. She was known for her work in children's literature and her contributions to various newspapers and magazines in Brazil.
People
Janeia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Janeia 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
Janeia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Janeia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 38 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Janeia 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 9,019,851 US residents.
Is Janeia a common name?
We classify Janeia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 50.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 39 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Janeia most popular?
The single biggest year for Janeia was 2003, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Janeia is about 30 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Janeia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Janeia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Janeia 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 Janeia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Janeia 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 Janeia 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Janeia?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.