Jannice
A feminine given name derived from Jane, meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 457 living Americans carry the first name Jannice. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jannice today is around 60 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jannice births was 1959 (31 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jannice. 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
457
~ 1 in 750,009 Americans
Peak year
1959
31 babies that year
Average age
60
years old
2013 SSA rank
#17,700
Tracked since 1922
Popularity
Jannice: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jannice from the 1920s through to the 2010s, spanning 10 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1950s, with 184 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1950s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jannice 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 Jannice during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jannices live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jannice
The name Jannice is a relatively modern variant of the more traditional name Janice, which has its origins in the ancient Roman name Janica. This name is derived from the Latin word "Janus," who was the Roman god of beginnings, transitions, and doorways.
Janus was a prominent deity in ancient Roman culture, often depicted with two faces looking in opposite directions, symbolizing his ability to look both into the past and the future. The name Janica was likely a feminine form of Janus, given to girls as a way to honor the god and invoke his blessings.
The earliest recorded use of the name Janica can be traced back to the late Roman period, around the 4th century AD. During this time, it was primarily used by families of Roman descent, particularly in the regions that are now part of Italy, France, and Spain.
As the name spread throughout Europe during the Middle Ages, it underwent various spelling variations, including Janice, Janyce, and eventually, Jannice. One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Jannice was a French noblewoman named Jannice de Montfort, who lived in the 12th century.
In the 16th century, the name gained popularity in England, where it was often associated with the Protestant Reformation. One notable figure from this era was Jannice Askew, an English Protestant martyred for her beliefs in 1546.
During the Renaissance period, the name Jannice was associated with intellectual and artistic circles. One famous bearer was the Italian painter Jannice Longhi, who lived from 1470 to 1538 and was renowned for her portraits and religious works.
In the 19th century, the name Jannice gained prominence in literature. One notable example is the character Jannice Eyre, the protagonist of the classic novel "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë, published in 1847.
Another significant figure with the name Jannice was the American social reformer Jannice Addams, who lived from 1860 to 1935 and was a pioneer in the field of social work and a co-founder of the Hull House settlement in Chicago.
While the spelling variation "Jannice" has remained relatively uncommon compared to the more traditional "Janice," it has been used throughout history by individuals from diverse backgrounds and cultures, each adding their unique imprint to the legacy of this name.
People
Jannice + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jannice 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
Jannice: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jannice?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 457 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jannice 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 750,009 US residents.
Is Jannice a common name?
We classify Jannice as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 656 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jannice most popular?
The single biggest year for Jannice was 1959, when 31 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jannice is about 60 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jannice a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jannice 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.