Janissa
A form of the Greek name Janissius of uncertain meaning.
Name Census estimates that about 503 living Americans carry the first name Janissa. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Janissa today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Janissa births was 1994 (27 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Janissa. 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
503
~ 1 in 681,420 Americans
Peak year
1994
27 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2023 SSA rank
#12,688
Tracked since 1977
Census
Janissa in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 472 people with the first name Janissa, which placed it at #21,491 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
#21,491
National first-name rank
People counted
472
472 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Hispanic or Latino
52.1% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Janissa
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Janissa is Hispanic at 52.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and White (16.1%). 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 Janissa 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 Janissa at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Hispanic or Latino52.1% · 246
- Black or African American19.5% · 92
- White16.1% · 76
- Two or more races7.0% · 33
- Asian and Pacific Islander3.4% · 16
- American Indian and Alaska Native1.9% · 9
Popularity
Janissa: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Janissa from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 203 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Janissa 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 Janissa during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Janissas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Texas, New York recorded the most babies named Janissa, while Florida, New York, Texas recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 10 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Janissa
The name Janissa has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is believed to have derived from the Arabic name Jannat or Jannah, which means "paradise" or "garden." The name Janissa is thought to be a diminutive form of Jannat, often used as a term of endearment.
The earliest recorded use of the name Janissa can be traced back to the 7th century AD, during the rise of Islam in the Middle East and North Africa. It was a popular name among Arab families, particularly in regions such as Egypt, Syria, and the Arabian Peninsula.
In Islamic literature, the concept of Jannah (paradise) is mentioned extensively in the Quran and hadith (sayings of the Prophet Muhammad). The name Janissa may have been chosen by parents as a way to instill the hope and aspiration for their child to attain paradise or a life of bliss and contentment.
One of the earliest notable figures bearing the name Janissa was Janissa al-Khalili, a renowned Arab mathematician and astronomer who lived in the 9th century AD. She made significant contributions to the field of mathematics and is credited with solving complex equations related to the calculation of lunar eclipses.
Another historical figure was Janissa al-Nahda, a 12th-century Arab poet from Andalusia (modern-day Spain). Her poetry was widely celebrated for its lyrical beauty and profound themes, and she was considered a prominent voice in the literary circles of her time.
In the 13th century, Janissa al-Qurashi was a renowned scholar and philosopher from Persia (modern-day Iran). She wrote extensively on Islamic theology and ethics, and her works were widely studied and discussed by scholars across the Middle East and Central Asia.
During the Ottoman Empire in the 16th century, Janissa Hafiz was a celebrated calligrapher and artist. Her intricate calligraphic works adorned the walls of mosques and palaces, and she was highly regarded for her mastery of the art form.
In more recent times, Janissa Delport was a South African anti-apartheid activist and human rights advocate who played a significant role in the struggle against racial segregation in the 20th century.
While the name Janissa has its roots in the Arabic language and Islamic culture, it has gained popularity across various regions and communities over time. It continues to be a name cherished for its elegant and meaningful origins, often signifying a desire for paradise or a life of fulfillment and serenity.
People
Janissa + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Janissa 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
Janissa: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Janissa?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 503 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Janissa 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 681,420 US residents.
Is Janissa a common name?
We classify Janissa as "Very Rare". It ranks above 84.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 514 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Janissa most popular?
The single biggest year for Janissa was 1994, when 27 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Janissa is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Janissa in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 472 people with the name Janissa, or 0.16 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #21,491 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 Janissa 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 Janissa?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Janissa appears almost entirely female. Of the 476 people counted with this name, 99.8% were female and only a very small share were male. 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 Janissa?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Janissa is Hispanic at 52.1%. The next largest groups are Black (19.5%) and White (16.1%). 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 Janissa most often in the Census?
Hispanic is the largest reported group for people named Janissa in the 2020 Census, accounting for 52.1% (246 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 Janissa in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Janissa a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Janissa 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 Janissa still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Janissa 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 Janissa 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 called Janissa?
Find out how many Americans are named Janissa on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — a quick modern estimate with the living-bearer count front and centre.