Given name & surname · also French
Janice
“God is gracious”
Janice expands Jane with an ending familiar from other feminine names.
Original FrenchJeanne
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Janice has a related form in Jane. In Hebrew use, Jane carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In one tradition, it comes from French Jeanne.
Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)
How it developed
In English use, Janice is used as a derivative of Jane.
The story
The heroine of Paul Leicester Ford’s 1899 novel Janice Meredith appears to be an early bearer. The added -ice ending connects its formation with names such as Candice and Bernice.
Janice through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 407,605
- 1,157 boys · 406,448 girls
- Most popular year
- 1951
- 15,981 babies
- 2025
- 70
- #2,522 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −39%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 70 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,522 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 39.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 15,958 in 1951. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (9). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 302,296 as a first name in 2020; 666 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.
Janice’s family of names
In English usage, Janice has a diminutive in Jan. In English usage, Janice shares an earlier linguistic root with Jean. In English usage, Janice has a related form in Jane.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Janice has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its Hebrew roots to each of them.
27 related names in 4 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 23
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Jeanneroot · French, English
- Joannadoublet · English
- Joandoublet · English
- Shanedoublet · English
- Shawndoublet · English
- Johannadoublet · English
- Jeandoublet · English
- Ivanadoublet · English
Show 15 moreShow fewer
- Janadoublet · English
- Juanadoublet · English
- Siobhandoublet · English
- Shaundoublet · English
- Joannedoublet · English
- Berniceroot
- Siandoublet · English
- Sheenadoublet · English
- Shaunadoublet · English
- Shawnadoublet · English
- Shanicerelated form
- Jannikeequivalent
- Shavonnedoublet · English
- Jendoublet · English
- Jehanneroot · Middle French
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Janice
- Jan BrewerGovernor of Arizona from 2009 to 2015born 1944
- Janice DickinsonAmerican model and actressborn 1955
- Janice E. VossAmerican engineer and NASA astronaut (1956-2012)
- Janice RuleAmerican actress (1931–2003)
- Janice RankinScottish and British curlerborn 1972
- Janice TjenIndonesian tennis playerborn 2002
- Jan AndrewAustralian swimmer, Olympic silver medallist, former world record-holderborn 1943
- Janice CaymanBelgian footballerborn 1988
- Janice PariatIndian writerborn 1953
Characters named Janice: Janice Rand (Star Trek), Janice Soprano (The Sopranos), Janice Litman Goralnik (recurring character on the sitcom Friends).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Janice, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Janine
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Jayne
“God is gracious”
1% boys · 99% girls
Sharon
“rose of Sharon” · “from the plains; a flowering shrub”
1% boys · 99% girls
Janna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Janelle
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Janie
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Éloise
>99% girls
Janet
“God is gracious”
>99% girls