Janelle
Janelle was the 801st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 340 babies. Its best year was 1978, when it ranked 186th; the most babies were born in 1979 (1,416). Over the last ten years it has moved down 327 places. More babies were named Janelle in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Meaning Jane + -elle (God is gracious) · English, Hebrew
Say it juh-NEL /dʒəˈnɛl/
- Rank in 2025
- #801 girls, down 130 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 340girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19791,416 babies
- Total since 1880
- 56,967babies recorded
What does the name Janelle mean?
Janelle is formed from Jane plus the French-style ending -elle, according to Wiktionary. Jane is a feminine form of John, which DMNES traces to Hebrew Yochanan, "graced by God" or "God is gracious." Wiktionary also records Janelle as a French surname and lists it among the many names that go back to Jane, such as Janet, Janine and Jeannette. In the US Janelle has been used for girls since the 1910s.
יוֹחָנָן (Biblical Hebrew, “God is gracious (via John/Jane)”)
How sure is this? Probable.
Related names: Jane, Janet, Janine, Jeanette.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Janelle' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jane' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'John', DMNES (Durham University)
- US Social Security Administration, national baby-name data 1880-2025 (yob*.txt), team3 computation of first year recorded, US Social Security Administration (public domain)
Janelle popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 86 since 1976.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #801 | 340 |
| 2020 | #671 | 427 |
| 2010 | #394 | 813 |
| 2000 | #470 | 591 |
| 1990 | #258 | 1,106 |
| 1980 | #194 | 1,395 |
| 1970 | #387 | 606 |
| 1960 | #465 | 442 |
| 1950 | #486 | 275 |
| 1940 | #688 | 102 |
| 1930 | #1,106 | 45 |
| 1920 | #1,848 | 22 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Janelle, counting every spelling?
Janelle is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #753 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #801 for Janelle on its own. Together these spellings went to 365 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Janelle | 340 | #801 | 2,004 |
| Janell | 18 | #6,418 | 124 |
| Jannelle | 7 | #12,454 | 26 |
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 Janelle?
340 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Janelle (0.09 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Janelle 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 25 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Janelle.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Janelle?
About 52,700 people born in the US named Janelle are alive today, with a median age of 38; half are between 22 and 49. That makes Janelle mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties.
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.
Janelle by state
How common Janelle was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maryland (1.8×), California (1.8×), Texas (1.6×), New Jersey (1.5×). In 19 states fewer than five girls 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 Janelle: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Janelle, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Janelle · Sibling names for Janelle
Questions about the name Janelle
What does Janelle mean?
Janelle means “Jane + -elle (God is gracious)” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Janelle?
Janelle was the 801st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 340 babies. Its best year was 1978, when it ranked 186th; the most babies were born in 1979 (1,416). Over the last ten years it has moved down 327 places. More babies were named Janelle in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Is Janelle a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Janelle in the US.
Where is Janelle most popular?
In 2021–2025, Janelle was most common in Maryland (0.44 per 1,000 girls), followed by California and Texas.