Januari
A name deriving from the month of January, essentially meaning "the first month".
Name Census estimates that about 41 living Americans carry the first name Januari. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Januari today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Januari births was 1979 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Januari. 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
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Januari. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
41
~ 1 in 8,359,862 Americans
Peak year
1979
13 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1982 SSA rank
#8,586
Tracked since 1977
Popularity
Januari: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Januari from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 30 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1970s peak, Januari remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Januari 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 Januari 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 Januari
The name Januari is derived from the Latin word "Ianuarius," which is the name of the first month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The name Ianuarius itself is believed to have originated from the Roman god Janus, who was the god of beginnings, transitions, and endings. Janus was typically depicted with two faces, one looking forward and one looking backward, symbolizing his role as the guardian of doors, gates, and transitions.
The name Januari has been used as a given name for centuries, particularly in parts of Europe and regions influenced by Roman culture. It is believed to have been first used as a personal name during the Middle Ages, when it became common practice to name children after months, saints, or other religious figures.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Januari can be found in the writings of the Italian poet Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). In his famous work, the Divine Comedy, Dante mentions a character named Gennaio, although it is unclear whether this was a real person or a fictional character.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Januari. One of the most famous was Januari van Hout (c. 1542-1609), a Dutch painter and engraver who was known for his religious works and landscapes. Another notable figure was Januari Vink (1734-1798), a Dutch politician and jurist who served as the mayor of Amsterdam in the late 18th century.
In the 19th century, Januari Caspar Fabritius (1808-1889) was a Dutch poet and translator who gained recognition for his translations of works by Lord Byron and other English poets. Another notable bearer of the name was Januari Petrus Swart (1852-1924), a South African politician and lawyer who served as the Attorney-General of the Cape Colony.
More recently, Januari Rizzo (1908-1987) was an Italian-American mobster and member of the Lucchese crime family in New York City. He was known for his involvement in various criminal activities, including extortion and racketeering.
While the name Januari is not as common today as it once was, it still holds significance as a reflection of the Roman heritage and cultural influence that has shaped many European languages and naming traditions.
People
Januari + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Januari 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
Januari: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Januari?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 41 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Januari 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 8,359,862 US residents.
Is Januari a common name?
We classify Januari as "Very Rare". It ranks above 51.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 44 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Januari most popular?
The single biggest year for Januari was 1979, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Januari is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
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 Januari in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Januari a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Januari 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 Januari still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Januari 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 Januari 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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many Americans are named Januari?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.