Jan
Jan is a form of John that is used in various languages.
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
Meaning & Origin of Jan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jan is a form of John that is used in various languages.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Dutch
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Czech
- Polish
- Slovene
- German
- Catalan
- Sorbian
- English
- Medieval English
- Slovak
The Story of Jan
As a girl name
American parents first put Jan on the record books as a girl name in 1911, with 8 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1956, when 3,201 Jans were born — ranking #136 that year. About 48% of every Jan on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. Jan last appeared in the published SSA data in 2021, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 55K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
As a boy name
Jan first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1902, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1954: 767 births, good for #252 nationwide. About 25% of every Jan on record arrived during the 1950s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Jan ranks #2,214 for boys with 66 births, holding steady (+1%). All told, over 22K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1900s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jan
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jan. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
- Han
- Hanne
- Hannes
- Hans
- Janek
- Janez
- Janko
- Janne
- Jannick
- Jannik
- Jantje
- Janusz
- Jens
- Jo
- Joan
- Joes
- Johan
- Johann
- Johannes
- Jon
- Jöns
- Joop
- Chevonne
- Genette
- Giana
- Gianna
- Janae
- Jane
- Janeka
- Janel
- Janele
- Janella
- Janelle
- Janene
- Janessa
- Janet
- Janetta
- Janette
- Janey
- Janice
- Janie
- Janine
- Janis
- Janna
- Jannah
- Jannette
- Jannine
- Jayna
- Jayne
- Jaynie
- Jean
- Jeana
- Jeane
- Jeanette
- Jeanie
- Jeanine
- Jeanna
- Jeanne
- Jeannette
- Jeannie
- Jeannine
- Jeni
- Jenna
- Jenni
- Jennie
- Jenny
- Jessi
- Jessie
- Jessy
- Jessye
- Joan
- Joanie
- Joann
- Joanna
- Joanne
- Jodene
- Jodi
- Jodie
- Jody
- Joetta
- Joey
- Johanna
- Johna
- Johnie
- Johnna
- Johnnie
- Jonelle
- Jonette
- Joni
- Jonie
- Seanna
- Shauna
- Shavon
- Shavonne
- Shawn
- Shawna
- Sheena
- Shena
- Shevaun
- Shevon
- Jackin
- Jankin
Names that sound like Jan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jan is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jan
What does the name Jan mean?
What is the origin of the name Jan?
How popular is Jan in 2026?
When was Jan most popular?
In which U.S. states is Jan most popular?
Is Jan a unisex name?
What names go well with Jan?
What are nicknames or variants of Jan?
About the name Jan
Jan is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1911 and has accumulated 55K births in the dataset. Jan's peak popularity came in 1956 when it ranked #136. Use the chart and map above to compare Jan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1956 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.