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.

# 281 in the US

Jane Rank in US Top 1000

# 68 on Nameberry

Jane Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Jane Popularity

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