Given name & surname
Janina
“God is gracious”
Janina is a variant of Jane. In Hebrew use, Jane carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Janina is a variant of Jane. In Hebrew use, Jane carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Polish use, Janina is a variant of Joanna. An origin associated with Joanna is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Spanish usage, Janina is a diminutive of Juana. In Spanish usage, Janina is a diminutive of Jeannine.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1911. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Janina 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. In Polish use, Janina is a variant of Joanna. The history of Joanna gives this family its wider story. Joanna was in use during the Middle Ages.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Janina through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,929
- 0 boys · 2,929 girls
- Most popular year
- 1980
- 77 babies
- 2025
- 11
- #9,120 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +10%
- Rising
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 11 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 9,120 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 10.0% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 77 in 1980. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 5,970 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Janina’s family of names
In Spanish usage, Janina is a diminutive of Juana. Janina has a related form in Jane. In Polish usage, Janina has a conventional equivalent in the French form Jeanne.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Janina has relatives in 9 languages.
11 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Janevariant · English
- Joannavariant · Polish
- Johannavariant · German, Swedish
- Janafull form · Slovak, Czech
- Juanafull form · Spanish
- Janinevariant · German, English
- Jasiaclipped form · Polish
- Jeanninefull form · Spanish, French
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 3
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Janina
- Janina GavankarAmerican actress (born 1980)
- Janina LewandowskaPolish officer and aviator (1908-1940)
- Janina OchojskaPolish humanitarian activist and founder of the Polish Humanitarian Organizationborn 1955
- Janina Mingefemale german association football playerborn 1999
- Janina UhseGerman actressborn 1989
- Janina Hettich-WalzGerman biathleteborn 1996
- Yana Batyrshinagymnastborn 1979
- Janina IpohorskaPolish painter and journalist (1914–1981)
- Janina KonarskaPolish artist (1900-1975)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Janina, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jenina
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Jenica
“one who is fair; a beautiful girl” · “God is gracious”
>99% girls
Jannelle
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Janella
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Jinna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Jandy
“God is gracious”
7% boys · 93% girls
Janny
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Justina
“one who is just and upright”
>99% girls