Given name & surname · also Slavic

Janko

“God is gracious”

Janko is a variant of Jani. In Finnish use, Jani carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”

Meaning & origin

What it means

Janko is a variant of Jani. In Finnish use, Jani carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”

Explained through its name family

Where it comes from

Janko comes from Slavic, and ultimately from Slavic languages.

Adapted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0)

How it developed

In Slovak usage, Janko is a diminutive of Jano. In Slovak usage, Janko is a diminutive of Ján.

The story

Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2014. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.

From dated birth records

Janko through the years

Babies since 1880
5
5 boys · 0 girls
Most popular year
2014
5 babies
2025
0
Outside the ranked list
2021–25 vs 2016–20
—
Too few births to compare
01232025Highest share 20140.0
Janko in U.S. Social Security birth records, 2014–2025, per million boys born. Years with fewer than five births for a sex are not published and appear as zero. Use the arrow keys to step through years.

By the numbers

The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2014. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 140 as a first name in 2020; 502 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.

Janko’s family of names

In Polish usage, Janko is a diminutive of Jan. In Slovak usage, Janko shares a linguistic root with the Pannonian Rusyn form Янко. In Polish usage, Janko has a conventional naming counterpart in the English form Johnny.

Walk Janko’s family in the name graph

JankoЯнкоЈанкоJankóJanJohannesJaniYankoJanoJánJohnnyHans傑克Γιάννης

Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.

Hover or tab through the constellation to see how each name is related. Bigger dots are names more people in the U.S. share.

Around the world

Janko has relatives in 9 languages. Lines run from its Proto-Slavic roots to each of them.

EnglishGermanChineseProto-Slavic

12 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.

Each dot marks where a language is rooted, not where people with the name live today. Bigger dots hold more names. Dots on the border stand for languages further away. Language locations from Glottolog (CC BY 4.0); map from Natural Earth.

Nicknames & forms 6

Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.

Spellings & scripts 3

The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.

Across languages 5

Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.

See also 4

Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.

Similar names

If you love Janko, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.

Slavic · Modern

Darko

“a manly man”

0Not recently recordedRising fast

>99% boys

Slavic · Modern

Jaromir

“from the famous spring”

0Not recently recorded

>99% boys

Slavic · Modern

Ziven

“one who is vigorous; full of life”

15Very rareRising fast

>99% boys

Slavic · Modern

Jarek

“born during the spring”

23RareEasing

>99% boys

Basque · Modern

Aitor

Aitor is a masculine given name from Basque. It is used in Spanish and Basque.

14Very rareSteady

>99% boys

Slavic · Modern

Radek

“happy”

11Very rareSteady

>99% boys

Basque · Modern

Kepa

“as solid as a stone”

0Not recently recorded

>99% boys

Slavic languages · Modern

Borna

Borna is a masculine given name from Slavic. It is used in English and Serbo-Croatian.

17Very rareSteady

>99% boys

Sibling ideas

Names that share Janko’s feel without repeating its first letter or rhyming with it.

A brother for Janko

A sister for Janko