Jan
Jan was the 2731st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 47 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 247th; the most babies were born in 1954 (768). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,046 places. More babies were named Jan in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Janet/Janice; or a form of John · English, Dutch, Hebrew
Say it JAN /dʒæn/
- Rank in 2025
- #2,731 boys, down 675 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 47boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 1954768 babies
- Total since 1880
- 76,934babies recorded
What does the name Jan mean?
Jan has two separate histories. For girls in the US it is usually a short form of Janet, Janice, Janine or similar names, all ultimately feminine forms of John. For boys it is the form of John used in Dutch, German, Scandinavian and Slavic languages, usually said YAHN. Either way the root is the Hebrew Yohanan, "God has been gracious" or "graced by God", which came into European languages through the Greek and Latin of the New Testament.
יוֹחָנָן (Biblical Hebrew, “Yohanan, "God is gracious"”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: John, Janet, Janice, Janine, Johannes.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'John', DMNES (Durham University)
- Wikipedia, 'Jan (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
Jan popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #15,898 | #2,731 | 5 | 47 |
| 2020 | #16,139 | #2,056 | 5 | 69 |
| 2010 | #18,137 | #1,286 | 5 | 135 |
| 2000 | #6,314 | #837 | 17 | 192 |
| 1990 | #2,580 | #915 | 46 | 126 |
| 1980 | #841 | #824 | 186 | 114 |
| 1970 | #442 | #636 | 498 | 163 |
| 1960 | #166 | #412 | 2,447 | 370 |
| 1950 | #166 | #267 | 1,725 | 608 |
| 1940 | #356 | #299 | 331 | 349 |
| 1930 | #945 | #1,353 | 60 | 29 |
| 1920 | #2,036 | #1,364 | 19 | 29 |
| 1910 | — | #1,160 | — | 9 |
| 1900 | — | — | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
How popular is Jan, counting every spelling?
Jan is the most common spelling of a name family that had 52 boys in 2025 across its spellings. Together these spellings went to 52 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 47 | #2,731 | 312 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Jan?
47 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jan (0.01 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 179 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jan?
About 14,800 people born in the US named Jan are alive today, with a median age of 62; half are between 31 and 74. That makes Jan a name most people associate with older generations. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jan by state
How common Jan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Illinois (3.6×), Florida (1.9×), New York (1.9×). In 45 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jan, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jan · Sibling names for Jan
Jan is also a nickname for Janet and Janice.
Questions about the name Jan
What does Jan mean?
Jan means “short form of Janet/Janice; or a form of John” (English, Dutch, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jan?
Jan was the 2731st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 47 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 247th; the most babies were born in 1954 (768). Over the last ten years it has moved down 1,046 places. More babies were named Jan in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Jan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jan in the US.
Where is Jan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jan was most common in Illinois (0.13 per 1,000 boys), followed by Florida and New York.