Jane

English

"God is gracious"

Jane Origin and Meaning

The name Jane is a girl's name of English origin meaning "God is gracious".

No, we don't consider Jane too plain. In fact, for a venerable and short one-syllable name, we think it packs a surprising amount of punch, as compared to the related Jean and Joan.

A very old name, Jane has been around since Tudor times, in this country moving in and out of fashion. Jane was once so common that it became generic—as in Jane Doe and G.I. Jane—then spent a considerable time as the back end of such smooshes as Maryjane, Bettyjane, and Sarajane.

We think it's time for a fresh look at Jane—and not only in the middle place. Just think of all the awesome Janes of the past, both real and fictive—from Austen to Addams to Eyre to Fonda.

Jimmy Kimmel recently named his baby girl Jane.

Jane Rank in US Top 1000

# 281 in the US

Jane Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

# 74 on Nameberry

Jane Popularity

• 281 US 2023
• 74 Nameberry 2024
• 207 Future 2028

20 Names Similar to Jane

These 20 names were selected by our users that were looking for other names like Jane.

• Alice
• Lucy
• Elizabeth
• Eleanor
• Margaret
• Charlotte
• Caroline
• Grace
• Claire
• Rose
• Clara
• Juliet
• Eliza
• Josephine
• Eloise
• Beatrice
• James
• Nora
• Anne
• June

Famous People Named Jane

• Janes Means Pierce Wife of President Franklin Pierce
• Jane Seymour third Queen consort of Henry VIII of England
• Jane Grey Queen of England for nine days
• Jane Austen English novelist
• Jane Addams American settlement worker
• Jane Wyman (born Sarah Jane Mayfield) American singer/actress
• (Ernestine) Jane Geraldine Russell American actress
• Jane Sanders wife of Vermont's Senator Bernie Sanders
• Jane Powell (born Suzanne Lorraine Burce) American dancer, singer, and actress
• Jane Asher English actress, one,time fiancee of musician Paul McCartney
• Jane Seymour Fonda American actress
• (Valerie) Jane Morris Goodall English primatologist
• Jane Withers American actress
• Jane Margaret Lakes Harman former U.S. Congresswoman from California
• Jane Seymour (born Joyce Frankenberg) English actress
• Jane Dee Hull American politician, 20th governor of Arizona
• Jane Clifton Australian actress
• Jane Morgan American singer
• Jane Marian Joseph English composer
• (Emma) Jane Catherine Cobden English radical politician
• Jane Krakowski American actress
• Jane Frances Kaczmarek American actress
• Jane Colburn Levy American actress
• Jane Leeves English actress
• Jane Marie Lynch American actress/comedienne
• Jane Elliott American educator and activist
• Jane Espenson American TV writer and producer
• Jane Porter Scottish novelist and playwright
• Jane Boleyn Viscountess Rochford, sister,in,law of Queen Anne Boleyn
• Jane Adams American actress
• Jane "Poni" Adams (born Betty Jane Bierce) American actress
• Jane Adams English novelist
• Calamity Jane (born Martha Jane Canary) American frontierswoman
• Jane Ussher New Zealand photographer
• Jane Pratt American magazine and website editor (Jane Magazine)
• Jane Dornacker American musician, comedienne and journalist
• Jane Urquhart Canadian novelist and poet
• Jane Moore Sibbett American actress
• Jane Alexander American author and actress
• Jane Ira Bloom American jazz musician
• Jane Green English novelist
• Jane Olivor American cabaret singer
• (Elizabeth) Jane Campion New Zealand screenwriter
• Jane Hyatt Yolen American novelist
• Jane Monheit American jazz singer
• Jane Nossette Jarvis American jazz pianist
• (Margaret) Jane Pauley American news anchor and journalist
• Jane Lauder American businesswoman of Estee Lauder
• Jane Jensen (born Jane Elizabeth Smith) American video game designer
• Jane Therese Curtin American actress/comedienne
• Jane Mallory Birkin English model and originator of Hermes Birkin bag
• Jane Smiley American novelist
• Jane Grybennikova Ukrainian model
• Jane Zhang (born Zhang Liangying) Chinese pop singer
• Jane Erin Carrey daughter of actor Jim Carrey
• Jane Kimmel (b. 2014) daughter of comedian Jimmy Kimmel and Molly McNearney

Jane in Pop Culture

• "Jane Eyre " novel by Charlotte Bronte and its main character
• Jane Porter character in Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan series
• Jane Bennet eldest sister in Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice"
• Jane Fairfax character in Jane Austen's "Emma"
• Jane "Eleven" Hopper character on TV's "Stranger Things"
• Mary Jane Watson character in the Marvel Universe
• Jane Foster character in the Thor series
• Jane Chapman character in "Big Little Lies"
• Jane Gloriana Villanueva character on TV's "Jane the Virgin"
• Jane Kano character in 2019's "Charlie's Angels"
• Jane "Janie" Johnson aka Jennie Spring main character in Caroline B. Cooney's "The Face on the Milk Carton"
• Jane Gallagher character in J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye"
• Jane Marple character in novels by Agatha Christie
• Jane Murdstone David Copperfield's step,aunt in Charles Dicken's "David Copperfield"
• Jane Rizzoli character on TV's "Rizzoli & Isles"
• Jane Penvellyn character in the HER Interactive video game, "Curse of Blackmoor Manor"
• Jane Sloan character in "The Bold Type"
• Jane Burnham character in movie "American Beauty"
• Jane Anne Deveraux, character on TV's "The Originals"
• Jane Quimby main character on TV's "Jane by Design"
• Jane Bingum main character on TV's "Drop Dead Diva"
• Jane and the Dragon book series by Martin Baynton and TV show
• Jane Wendy's daughter in Disney's "Return to Neverland'
• Jane Penderwick character in The Penderwicks series by Jeanne Birdsall
• "The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman" novel by Ernest J. Gaines and movie
• Jane Sterling character on TV's "Mad Men"
• Jane character in "Half,Magic" by Edward Eager
• Jane Nichols main character in movie "27 Dresses"
• Jane character in the Twilight Saga
• Jane Moffat character in "The Moffats" series by Eleanor Estes
• Jane Margolis character on TV's "Breaking Bad"
• Jane Andrews character in "Anne of Green Gables" by L.M. Montgomery
• Jane Kerkovich Williams, character on TV' "Happy Endings"
• Jane Lane character in animated series Daria
• Jane Morgan character in movie "My Babysitter's a Vampire"
• Jane Crocker character in web comic "Homestuck"
• Jane Larkin character in "Call Him Demon"
• Jane character in "Will Grayson, Will Grayson," by John Green and David Levithan
• Patrick Jane main character on TV's "The Mentalist"
• Blue "Jane" Sargent character in "The Raven Cycle"
• Jane Banks character in "Mary Poppins"
• Jane Beale character in TV's "EastEnders"
• Jane Fairy Godmother's daughter in Disney's "Descendants"
• Jane main character in "The Iron Dragon's Daughter"
• Jane main character in Jane in Bloom by Deborah Lytton.
• Sister Jane Ingalls character on Netflix's original series "Orange Is the New Black"
• Jane character in the Line Webtoon "Winter Woods"
• Jane "Janie" Scott character in The Apothecary
• Jane Boolittle daughter of Doctor Boolittle in "Monster High" show and series
• Jane character in "On the Road"
• Jane Norman clothing company
• "Jane " song by the Barenaked Ladies
• Mary Jane slang for marijuana
• Plain Jane slang for an ordinary woman
• Jane Doe stand,in name for a woman
• Jane's Addiction American alternative rock band
• Dear Jane Hong Kong rock band
• "G.I. Jane " 1997 movie
• 'Soldier Jane' song by Beck
• "Queen Jane Approximately " song by Bob Dylan
• "Jane Jane, Jane," song by the Kingston Trio
• "Sweet Jane " song by the Velvet Underground
• Jane Cobalt character in the Addicted Series
• Jane Jetson from the cartoon series "The Jetsons"
• Jane Tiberia Kirk Starship Captain in Star Trek comics by IDW Publishing, Jane Tiberia Kirk is a female version of Captain James Tiberius Kirk
• Jane the Killer Creepypasta