January
January is a given name. It is derived from the name of the month January, which comes from Janus, a Roman god who stood for beginnings and transitions.
Meaning & Origin of January
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
January is a given name. It is derived from the name of the month January, which comes from Janus, a Roman god who stood for beginnings and transitions.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of January
January first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1951, with 7 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1978, when 257 Januarys were born — ranking #638 that year. As of 2026, January ranks #8,120 for baby girls with 12 births, falling sharply (-22%). In total, more than 2K Januarys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1950s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named January
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- January Jones (singer) , an American pop singer née Jacqueline Allison
- January Jones (born 1978), American actress
- January Suchodolski (1797 – 1875), Polish artist
- January Thompson (born 1983), American singer
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like January
Phonetically similar names — useful when January 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 January
What does the name January mean?
How popular is January in 2026?
When was January most popular?
In which U.S. states is January most popular?
Is January a unisex name?
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About the name January
January is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1951 and has accumulated 2K births in the dataset. January's peak popularity came in 1978 when it ranked #638. Use the chart and map above to compare January's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1978 →
- 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.