Jani
A diminutive form of Janice, a feminine name of English origin meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 1,506 living Americans carry the first name Jani. It is a predominantly female name (95.1% of registrations). The average person named Jani today is around 43 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jani births was 1960 (71 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jani. 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
- • Although Jani is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 84 boys registered with the name since 1880.
People living today
1.5K
~ 1 in 227,593 Americans
Peak year
1960
71 babies that year
Average age
43
years old
2019 SSA rank
#7,359
Tracked since 1943
Gender
Gender distribution for Jani
Jani leans heavily female at 95.1% of total registrations, but 84 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Jani as a male name
- Ranked #12,958 in 2019
- 5 male births in 2019
- Peak: 2001 (11 births)
Jani as a female name
- Ranked #7,359 in 2024
- 15 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1960 (71 births)
Popularity
Jani: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jani from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 370 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jani 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 Jani during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Janis live
The SSA's state-level files cover 8 states and territories. California, New York, Ohio recorded the most babies named Jani, while Oregon, Michigan, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 17 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jani
The name Jani originates from Sanskrit, an ancient Indo-Aryan language that served as the root for many modern Indian languages. Its origins can be traced back to ancient India, where it was derived from the Sanskrit word "Jana," meaning "born" or "life."
In Hindu mythology, Jani is considered a name for the goddess Durga, who is revered as the embodiment of divine feminine power. This association lends the name a spiritual significance and connects it to the rich cultural heritage of the Indian subcontinent.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Jani can be found in ancient Hindu scriptures and texts, such as the Vedas and Puranas. These sacred texts often mentioned Jani as a reference to the goddess Durga or as a name for female characters.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Jani. One of the most renowned was Jani Bazen (1462-1512), a renowned female warrior and military leader from the Ottoman Empire. She played a crucial role in the Ottoman-Venetian wars and is celebrated for her bravery and strategic prowess.
Another significant bearer of the name was Jani Christou (1926-1970), a Greek composer and musical pioneer. He is known for his avant-garde compositions and instrumental works that challenged traditional musical conventions.
In the realm of literature, Jani Viswanath (1713-1779) was a celebrated Telugu poet and scholar from India. His works were instrumental in shaping the literary landscape of the Telugu language and are still widely studied and appreciated.
Jani Louwers (1891-1966) was a Belgian artist and painter known for her vibrant and expressive works. Her paintings often depicted scenes from everyday life and captured the essence of the rural landscapes of her homeland.
Lastly, Jani Leinonen (1834-1908) was a Finnish writer and journalist who played a significant role in the cultural and literary movements of his time. His writings and advocacy for the Finnish language and culture were instrumental in shaping national identity.
People
Jani + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jani 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
Jani: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jani?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,506 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jani 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 227,593 US residents.
Is Jani a common name?
We classify Jani as "Rare". It ranks above 92.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,729 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jani most popular?
The single biggest year for Jani was 1960, when 71 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jani is about 43 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jani a female name?
Yes, 95.1% of people registered as Jani 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.