2000
#8,022
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,814
First available Census row
Per 100,000 1.41
Rare Last name
Janis
A Latvian-Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 4,045 Americans carry the last name Janis. That puts it at #8,907 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 84,735 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Janis surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
4.0K
1 in 84,735
Census rank
#8,907
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
1.2
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
3.5K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 3,527 bearers of the surname Janis in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 8907th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Janis, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (19.2%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of 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.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Janis
Among Census respondents with the surname Janis, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (19.2%) and Hispanic (4.9%).
The bar chart below shows how Janis bearers 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 surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Janis surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White69.3% · 2,445
- American Indian and Alaska Native19.2% · 677
- Hispanic or Latino4.9% · 173
- Two or more races4.6% · 162
- Black or African American1.4% · 49
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 21
Timeline
Historical Census data for Janis
Janis appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#7,821
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 4,233
+419 bearers (+11.0%)
Per 100,000 1.44
Rank movement Up 201 places
2020
#8,907
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 3,527
-706 bearers (-16.7%)
Per 100,000 1.18
Rank movement Down 1,086 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #8,022 | 3,814 | 1.41 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #7,821 | 4,233 | 1.44 | +419 bearers (+11.0%) | Up 201 places |
| 2020 | #8,907 | 3,527 | 1.18 | -706 bearers (-16.7%) | Down 1,086 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Janis surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #7,821 | #8,907 | -13.9% |
| Count | 4,233 | 3,527 | -16.7% |
| Per 100K | 1.44 | 1.18 | -18.1% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Janis bearers went from 4,233 to 3,527 (-16.7% change). The surname moved down 1,086 positions in the national ranking, going from #7,821 to #8,907.
FAQ
Janis surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Janis?
Name Census estimates that about 4,045 living Americans carry the surname Janis. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 84,735 residents.
How common is Janis?
Janis ranks #8,907 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 1.18 per 100,000 residents, which is about 1 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 3,527 people with the surname Janis. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (4,045), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 1.18 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 1.18 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 1 of them to have the surname Janis.
Has Janis become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Janis went from 4,233 recorded bearers to 3,527. That is a decrease of 706 (-16.7%). In the national ranking it fell from #7,821 to #8,907.
What does the Census say about the background of Janis?
Among Census respondents with the surname Janis, the largest self-reported group is White at 69.3%. The next largest groups are American Indian/Alaska Native (19.2%) and Hispanic (4.9%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Janis in the 2020 Census, accounting for 69.3% (2,445 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Janis appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (69.3%), American Indian/Alaska Native (19.2%), Hispanic (4.9%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Janis (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Janis mean?
A Latvian-Jewish surname derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Janis (1.18 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many people have the last name Janis?
You can see how many people are called Janis on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.