Janira
A feminine name likely of Greek origins, meaning "lady" or "mistress".
Name Census estimates that about 710 living Americans carry the first name Janira. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Janira today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Janira births was 1988 (30 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Janira. 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
710
~ 1 in 482,753 Americans
Peak year
1988
30 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
2023 SSA rank
#16,180
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Janira: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Janira from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 223 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
Janira 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 Janira during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Janiras live
The SSA's state-level files cover 6 states and territories. New York, California, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Janira, while Pennsylvania, Illinois, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 39 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Janira
The name Janira is believed to have its origins in the Greek language and culture, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is thought to be derived from the Greek word "ianeira," which means "healing" or "curative." This suggests that the name may have been associated with concepts of health, well-being, and perhaps even the healing arts or medicine.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Janira can be found in Greek mythology. In the legend of Hippolytus, Janira was the name of a beautiful nymph who was beloved by the god Ares. This mythological reference suggests that the name has been in use for thousands of years.
During the Byzantine era, which spanned from the 4th to the 15th century, there are records of several notable individuals bearing the name Janira. One such example is Janira of Thessalonica, a Christian martyr who lived in the 3rd century AD. She is revered as a saint in the Eastern Orthodox Church for her unwavering faith and sacrifice.
In the literary realm, the name Janira appears in the works of the renowned Italian poet Torquato Tasso (1544-1595). In his epic poem "Gerusalemme Liberata" (Jerusalem Delivered), Janira is mentioned as a beautiful and virtuous character.
Another notable figure in history who bore the name Janira was Janira d'Istria (1835-1888), an Italian painter and writer from the Istrian peninsula. She was known for her vibrant portraits and landscapes, as well as her contributions to the literary world through her poetry and prose.
In the realm of music, Janira Navarro (1923-2001) was a celebrated Mexican singer and actress. She was renowned for her powerful voice and her performances in various genres, including ranchera, bolero, and mariachi. Her contributions to Mexican culture and arts have left a lasting legacy.
While the name Janira is not as common today as it once was, its rich history and associations with healing, beauty, and artistic expression make it a name with a unique and fascinating heritage.
People
Janira + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Janira 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
Janira: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Janira?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 710 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Janira 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 482,753 US residents.
Is Janira a common name?
We classify Janira as "Very Rare". It ranks above 87.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 740 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Janira most popular?
The single biggest year for Janira was 1988, when 30 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Janira is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Janira a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Janira 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.