Janeva
A feminine name derived from Jane, of Hebrew origin meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 349 living Americans carry the first name Janeva. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Janeva today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Janeva births was 2021 (16 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Janeva. 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.
People living today
349
~ 1 in 982,104 Americans
Peak year
2021
16 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,590
Tracked since 1916
Popularity
Janeva: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Janeva from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 97 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Janeva remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Janeva 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 Janeva 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 Janeva
The name Janeva is believed to have its origins in the ancient Sanskrit language, which was spoken in the Indian subcontinent during the Vedic period, between c. 1500–500 BCE. It is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "janava," which means "people" or "tribe." This suggests that the name may have initially been used to identify individuals belonging to a particular community or clan.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Janeva can be found in the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic poem composed around the 8th century BCE. In the text, Janeva is mentioned as the name of a warrior who fought in the great battle of Kurukshetra. This historical reference lends credence to the idea that the name has been in use for several millennia.
During the medieval period, the name Janeva gained popularity in certain regions of the Indian subcontinent. One notable figure was Janeva Mishra, a 10th-century Sanskrit scholar and poet from the Mithila region of present-day Bihar, India. His works on grammar and philosophy were widely studied and influential during his time.
In the 12th century, Janeva Hariprabha was a renowned Buddhist scholar and abbot from Bengal, who wrote extensively on Buddhist philosophy and meditation practices. His teachings were widely disseminated and had a lasting impact on the Buddhist tradition in South Asia.
The name Janeva also found its way into the Islamic tradition, with Janeva Begum being a prominent figure in the 16th century. She was a powerful nobleman's wife and a patron of the arts, known for her support of poets, artists, and scholars during the Mughal Empire.
Another notable historical figure bearing the name was Janeva Devi, a 17th-century Hindu mystic and poet from the Braj region of northern India. Her devotional compositions, known as bhajans, were widely popular and continue to be sung in Hindu devotional gatherings today.
While the name Janeva has ancient roots and a rich history, it is important to note that the information provided here is based on available historical records and may be subject to further research and verification.
People
Janeva + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Janeva 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
Janeva: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Janeva?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 349 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Janeva 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 982,104 US residents.
Is Janeva a common name?
We classify Janeva as "Very Rare". It ranks above 80.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 389 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Janeva most popular?
The single biggest year for Janeva was 2021, when 16 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Janeva is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Janeva a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Janeva 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.
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.