Find out how popular the last name Janis is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Janis.

Janis, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Janis surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Janis in America

Janis is the 7821st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Janis surname appeared 4,233 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Janis.

We can also compare 2010 data for Janis to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Janis

The surname JANIS originated in Latvia, a country located in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. The name dates back to the medieval period, around the 13th or 14th century, when it first appeared in written records. JANIS is derived from the Latvian given name Jānis, which is the equivalent of John or Johann in English.

The earliest known record of the surname JANIS can be found in the Livonian Chronicle, a historical manuscript written in the 13th century that documented the history of the Livonian Crusade. This chronicle mentions several individuals with the surname JANIS, indicating that the name was already in use among the Latvian population at that time.

During the late medieval period and the Renaissance, the JANIS surname was particularly prevalent in the regions of Vidzeme and Kurzeme, which were part of the Livonian Confederation. Some notable historical figures with this surname include Pēteris JANIS (1523-1595), a prominent merchant and landowner from Riga, and Jānis JANIS (1632-1704), a Lutheran pastor and author known for his religious writings.

In the 18th and 19th centuries, the JANIS surname began to spread beyond Latvia's borders as Latvian emigration increased. Some members of the JANIS family settled in neighboring countries like Estonia and Russia, while others ventured further afield to places like the United States and Canada. One notable JANIS from this period was Kristaps JANIS (1786-1856), a Latvian poet and playwright who played a significant role in the development of Latvian literature.

Other notable individuals with the surname JANIS include Vilhelms JANIS (1849-1908), a Latvian painter and art educator who is considered one of the founders of Latvian national romanticism in art; Alfrēds JANIS (1880-1959), a Latvian composer and conductor who was instrumental in promoting Latvian classical music; and Atis JANIS (1930-2016), a Latvian-American architect and designer best known for his innovative furniture designs.

Throughout its history, the surname JANIS has been associated with various place names and locations within Latvia, such as Jāņupīte, Jāņukalns, and Jāņukrogs, which may have influenced the formation of the surname or vice versa. While the exact origin and meaning of the name are not entirely clear, the JANIS surname has a rich and enduring legacy that spans centuries of Latvian history and culture.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Janis

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Janis.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Janis was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Janis has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Janis was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Janis, please contact us.

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