Janel
Janel is a feminine and masculine given name. Notable people with name include:
Meaning & Origin of Janel
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Janel is a feminine and masculine given name. Notable people with name include:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Janel
Janel first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1933, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1971, when 424 Janels were born — ranking #470 that year. As of 2026, Janel ranks #8,117 for baby girls with 12 births, falling sharply (-44%). In total, more than 12K Janels have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Janel
Phonetically similar names — useful when Janel 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 Janel
What does the name Janel mean?
How popular is Janel in 2026?
When was Janel most popular?
In which U.S. states is Janel most popular?
Is Janel a unisex name?
What names go well with Janel?
About the name Janel
Janel is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1933 and has accumulated 12K births in the dataset. Janel's peak popularity came in 1971 when it ranked #470. Use the chart and map above to compare Janel's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1971 →
- Names of the 1970s →
- 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.