Given name & surname
Janine
“God is gracious”
Janine is a variant of Jane. In Hebrew use, Jane carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Original FrenchJeannine
Meaning & origin
What it means
Janine is a variant of Jane. In Hebrew use, Jane carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is French.
How it developed
In English use, Janine is used as a form of French.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1914. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Janine 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
Janine through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 33,519
- 11 boys · 33,508 girls
- Most popular year
- 1960
- 1,380 babies
- 2025
- 21
- #5,805 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −37%
- Cooling
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 21 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 5,805 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 37.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,380 in 1960. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (7). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 31,970 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.
Janine’s family of names
In English usage, Janine shares an earlier linguistic root with Janet. Janine has a related form in Jane. In English usage, Janine shares an earlier linguistic root with Jenna.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Janine has relatives in 4 languages. Lines run from its French roots to each of them.
Frenchwhere Janine comes from · 1 name
Nicknames & forms 8
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 25
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Jessiedoublet · English
- Jennadoublet · English
- Janelledoublet · English
- Jennydoublet · English
- Ivankadoublet · English
- Jeanettedoublet · English
- Joaniedoublet · English
- Juanitadoublet · English
Show 17 moreShow fewer
- Janetdoublet · English
- Vannadoublet · English
- Jodydoublet · English
- Jandoublet · English
- Janeydoublet · English
- Jodoublet · English
- Jeannettedoublet · English
- Jeaniedoublet · English
- Sineaddoublet · English
- Shanaedoublet · English
- Janenneequivalent
- Jendoublet · English
- Janeneequivalent
- Jennineequivalent
- Yaninaequivalent
- Johaninoequivalent
- Янінаequivalent
People named Janine
- Janine JansenDutch violinist and violistborn 1978
- Janine TurnerAmerican actress (born 1962)
- Janine SonisCanadian soccer playerborn 1994
- Janine FlockAustrian skeleton racerborn 1989
- Janine WisslerGerman politician (born 1981)
- Janine van WykSouth African footballerborn 1987
- Ning ChangTaiwanese actressborn 1982
- Janine HansonCanadian rowerborn 1982
- Janine Darceyactress (1917–1993)
Characters named Janine: Janine Butcher (the BBC soap opera EastEnders).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Janine, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Janice
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Sancha
“saintly; holy” · “one who is sacred”
>99% girls
Jana
“God is gracious” · “he answers”
>99% girls
Éloise
>99% girls
Jayne
“God is gracious”
1% boys · 99% girls
Jonna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Juana
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Jeri
“one who rules with the spear”
>99% girls