Janusz
A masculine name of Polish origin meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Janusz. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Janusz today is around 31 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Janusz births was 1994 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Janusz. 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 Janusz. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1994
5 babies that year
Average age
31
years old
1994 SSA rank
#9,428
Tracked since 1994
Popularity
Janusz: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Janusz 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 Janusz during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Janusz
Janusz is a masculine given name of Polish origin, derived from the Latin name Joannes, which is a form of the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The name became popular in Poland during the Middle Ages, and it has been in continuous use since then.
The earliest recorded use of the name Janusz dates back to the 13th century, when it was mentioned in historical documents and chronicles. Some notable figures in Polish history who bore this name include Janusz I the Elder, Duke of Warsaw (c. 1346-1429), and Janusz I of Masovia (c. 1352-1429), who was the Duke of Masovia and Czersk.
In the 16th century, Janusz Leśnicki (c. 1510-1580) was a Polish writer and translator who made significant contributions to the development of the Polish language. Another notable figure was Janusz Radziwiłł (1612-1655), a Lithuanian-Polish prince and military leader who played a crucial role in the Smolensk War against Russia.
During the 17th century, Janusz Antoni Wiśniowiecki (1678-1741) was a Polish nobleman and military commander who served as the Grand Hetman of the Crown during the Great Northern War. In the 18th century, Janusz Sanguszko (1712-1775) was a Polish nobleman, politician, and military leader who served as the Grand Marshal of the Crown.
In more recent times, Janusz Korczak (1878-1942) was a Polish Jewish educator, children's author, and pedagogue who is remembered for his selfless devotion to the children in his care during the Holocaust. Janusz Kusocinski (1907-1940) was a Polish track and field athlete who won gold medals in the 10,000 meters at the 1932 and 1936 Olympic Games.
These are just a few examples of notable individuals throughout history who bore the name Janusz, a name that has been an integral part of Polish culture and tradition for centuries.
Notable bearers
Famous people named Janusz
People
Janusz + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Janusz 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
Janusz: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Janusz?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Janusz 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 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Janusz a common name?
We classify Janusz as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Janusz most popular?
The single biggest year for Janusz was 1994, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Janusz is about 31 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Janusz a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Janusz in the SSA data are male. 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.