Jana
Jana is the spelling of several unrelated given names.In Albanian, short for Jehona which means "echo", other short names include Jona, Ana, Hona In Arabic Jana, is a noun which means "to Earn" or "to Reap" and is used as a female name, but is pronounced as Janaa In Brazilian Portuguese, short for Janaína, a name Amerindian, is a female name of Tupi-Guarani origin.
- Czech
- Slovak
- Dutch
- German
Meaning & Origin of Jana
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jana is the spelling of several unrelated given names.In Albanian, short for Jehona which means "echo", other short names include Jona, Ana, Hona In Arabic Jana, is a noun which means "to Earn" or "to Reap" and is used as a female name, but is pronounced as Janaa In Brazilian Portuguese, short for Janaína, a name Amerindian, is a female name of Tupi-Guarani origin.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Czech
- Slovak
- Dutch
- German
- Slovene
- Catalan
- Estonian
- Latvian
- Croatian
- Serbian
- Macedonian
The Story of Jana
Jana first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1921, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1961: 1,457 births, good for #226 nationwide. The 1960s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 25% of all recorded Janas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,371 among baby girl names with 164 births, falling sharply (-27%). In total, more than 46K Janas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jana
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jana. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Jana
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Jana (footballer)
- Jana (Native American singer)
- Jana (singer)
- Jana Alemam (born 2009), Egyptian-Canadian rhythmic gymnast
- Jana Andrsová (1939–2023), Czech ballerina and actress
- Jana Asher , American statistician and human rights activist
- Jana Assi (born 1999), Lebanese footballer
- Jana Bach (born 1979), German pornographic actress, model, and television host
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Jana
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jana 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 Jana
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About the name Jana
Jana is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1921 and has accumulated 46K births in the dataset. Jana's peak popularity came in 1961 when it ranked #226. Use the chart and map above to compare Jana's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1961 →
- Names of the 1960s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
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.