Janice
Janice is a modern feminine given name, an extended version of Jane, an English feminine form of John which is itself derived from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning or Yehohanan. The name Janice was first used by American author Paul Leicester Ford for the heroine of the 1899 novel Janice Meredith.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Janice
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Janice is a modern feminine given name, an extended version of Jane, an English feminine form of John which is itself derived from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning or Yehohanan. The name Janice was first used by American author Paul Leicester Ford for the heroine of the 1899 novel Janice Meredith.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Janice
The earliest SSA record of Janice as a baby girl name dates back to 1894, when 5 babies received it. 1951 was its biggest year on record, with 15,959 newborns named Janice — #21 in the national rankings. The 1950s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 33% of all recorded Janices. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,224 among baby girl names with 85 births, falling sharply (-29%). In total, more than 407K Janices have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1890s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Janice
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Janice. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Janice
Phonetically similar names — useful when Janice 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 Janice
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About the name Janice
Janice is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1894 and has accumulated 407K births in the dataset. Janice's peak popularity came in 1951 when it ranked #21. Use the chart and map above to compare Janice's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1951 →
- Names of the 1950s →
- 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.