Girl · #4,901 in 2026

Janell

Janell is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:Janell Burse, American professional basketball player Janell Cannon, American children's writer and illustrator Janell Moon, American author of spiritual non-fiction and poetry Janell Smith (1947–2020), American Olympic sprinter Janell Wheeler, American musician among American Idol semi-finalists Janell Shirtcliff, American…

Current Rank
#4,901
Peak Rank
#490 (1979)
Total Babies
16K
5-Yr Trend
-24%
1914
First Year
2026
Last Year
1979
Peak Year
#490
Peak Rank
16K
Total Count
112
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Janell

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Janell is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:Janell Burse, American professional basketball player Janell Cannon, American children's writer and illustrator Janell Moon, American author of spiritual non-fiction and poetry Janell Smith (1947–2020), American Olympic sprinter Janell Wheeler, American musician among American Idol semi-finalists Janell Shirtcliff, American…

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Janell

Janell first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1914, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1979, when 416 Janells were born — ranking #490 that year. As of 2026, Janell ranks #4,901 for baby girls with 27 births, falling sharply (-24%). In total, more than 16K Janells have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Janell

Phonetically similar names — useful when Janell 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 Janell

What does the name Janell mean?
Janell is a feminine given name. Notable people with the name include:Janell Burse, American professional basketball player Janell Cannon, American children's writer and illustrator Janell Moon, American author of spiritual non-fiction and poetry Janell Smith (1947–2020), American Olympic sprinter Janell Wheeler, American musician among American Idol semi-finalists Janell Shirtcliff, American…
How popular is Janell in 2026?
In 2026, Janell ranks #4,901 among girls' names in the U.S., with 27 babies given the name that year.
When was Janell most popular?
Janell reached its peak popularity in 1979, ranking #490 that year with 416 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Janell most popular?
Janell has historically been most popular in Wyoming, Montana, North Dakota. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Janell.
Is Janell a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Janell is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Janell?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Janell include Celestine, Novella, Ronnie. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Celestine
Peak #490
👧
Novella
Peak #490
👧
Ronnie
Peak #490
👧
Alda
Peak #491
👧
Charley
Peak #489
👧
Gearldine
Peak #491
👧
Hailie
Peak #489
👧
Dessa
Peak #492

About the name Janell

Janell is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1914 and has accumulated 16K births in the dataset. Janell's peak popularity came in 1979 when it ranked #490. Use the chart and map above to compare Janell's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.