Given name & surname
Jana
“God is gracious”·“he answers”
Jana is a feminine form of Jan. In Slavic use, Jan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.” In German use, Jana is a variant of Yana. One Hebrew interpretation is “he answers.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Jana is a feminine form of Jan. In Slavic use, Jan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.” In German use, Jana is a variant of Yana. One Hebrew interpretation is “he answers.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In German use, Jana is a variant of Yana. An origin associated with Yana is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In German usage, Jana is a short form of Adriana. In Slovenian usage, Jana is a feminine form of Jan.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1921. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Jana is a variant of Jane. The history of Jane gives this family its wider story. Lady Jane Grey is one of the name’s historical bearers. In fiction, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre gave it a lasting nineteenth-century association; the novel appeared in 1847.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Jana through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 46,223
- 38 boys · 46,185 girls
- Most popular year
- 1961
- 1,456 babies
- 2025
- 181
- #1,247 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −25%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 181 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,247 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 25.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,456 in 1961. In 2025, New York had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (18). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 43,056 as a first name in 2020; 615 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jana’s family of names
In German usage, Jana is a short form of Adriana. In English usage, Jana shares an earlier linguistic root with Jean. In Czech usage, Jana has a conventional equivalent in the English form Janet.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jana has relatives in 21 languages.
55 related names in 21 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 21
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Janevariant · Norwegian Bokmål, German
- Anavariant · Serbo-Croatian
- Julianafull form · German
- Adrianafull form · German
- Johannavariant · German, Norwegian Bokmål
- Yanavariant · German
- Janinavariant · German, Slovak
- Jaanavariant · Estonian
Show 13 moreShow fewer
- Janitavariant · German
- Janinkadiminutive · Czech, Slovak
- Janičkadiminutive · Czech
- Jánosfull form · Hungarian
- Iānavariant · Icelandic
- Diānavariant · Icelandic
- Dīānavariant · Icelandic
- Jankadiminutive · Czech, Slovak
- Januškadiminutive · Slovak, Czech
- Janušadiminutive · Slovak
- Janulienkadiminutive · Slovak
- Januľkadiminutive · Slovak
- Januľadiminutive · Slovak
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 41
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Joannadoublet · Polish, English
- Ivannaequivalent
- Joandoublet · English
- Shanedoublet · English
- HanaUpper Sorbian
- Shawndoublet · English
- Giovannaequivalent
- Jeandoublet · English
Show 33 moreShow fewer
- Ivanadoublet · English
- Juanadoublet · English
- JanieEnglish
- Ivankaequivalent
- Siobhandoublet · English
- Jannaequivalent
- Shaundoublet · English
- Janicedoublet · English
- Joannedoublet · English
- Juanitaequivalent
- JanetEnglish
- Janmasculine form · Czech, Slovene
- Siandoublet · English
- Jeannedoublet · French, English
- Janyaequivalent
- Sheenadoublet · English
- Jonnaequivalent
- Shaunadoublet · English
- Janisdoublet · English
- Shawnadoublet · English
- Yangequivalent
- Shavonnedoublet · English
- Jendoublet · English
- Siânequivalent
- Ἰωάννηςmasculine form · Norwegian Bokmål
- Iohannaroot · Latin
- Jānismasculine form · Latvian
- SìneScottish Gaelic
- ΓιάνναGreek
- ΙωάνναGreek
- ИваннаRussian
- ЯнинаRussian
- HankaUpper Sorbian
See also 10
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
- Johanaalso known as · Czech
- Janialso known as · Czech
- Jôalso known as · Portuguese
- Jaňulicealso known as · Czech
- Janíkalso known as · Czech
- Jájaalso known as · Czech
- Janušalso known as · Czech
- Jaňulkaalso known as · Czech
Show 2 moreShow fewer
People named Jana
- Jana NovotnáCzech tennis player (1968–2017)
- Yana KlochkovaUkrainian swimmerborn 1982
- Jana BurčeskaMacedonian singerborn 1993
- Yana EgorianRussian Saber fencerborn 1993
- Jana FettCroatian female tennis playerborn 1996
- Jana PittmanAustralian hurdler and bobsledderborn 1982
- Jana BrejchováCzech actress (1940–2026)
- Jana TicháCzech astronomerborn 1965
- Yana ShemyakinaUkrainian fencerborn 1986
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Jana, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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