NameRealm
Jan

Jan: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“God is gracious”
Origin
Dutch
Say it
yahn · 1 syllable
Used for
Both (71% girls, 29% boys since 1880)

Used in several languages: a Dutch and Scandinavian form of John, and also a Polish masculine form of Jan from Johannes. In English it can also be a feminine short form of Janet.

Dutch namesPolish namesScandinavian namesEnglish namesNames meaning graceNames meaning faithClassic namesInternational namesShort names

How popular is Jan?

202419.5 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Jan in 202465

2024 rank#2,210 boys

Peak year1954

Total US babies since 188076,882

Jan is fading: recent use is about 65% of its level ten years before.

Names like Jan

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • JohnYahweh is gracious · Hebrew
  • JackGod is gracious · English
  • Jacksonson of Jack · English
  • IanGod is gracious · Scottish Gaelic
  • Jaxonson of Jack · English
  • GiovanniGod is gracious · Italian
  • JuanYahweh is gracious · Hebrew
  • Evanthe Lord is gracious · Welsh

Jan questions

What does the name Jan mean?

Jan means "God is gracious". It comes from Dutch. Used in several languages: a Dutch and Scandinavian form of John, and also a Polish masculine form of Jan from Johannes. In English it can also be a feminine short form of Janet.

Is Jan a boy or girl name?

Jan is used for both: about 71% of US babies named Jan since 1880 were girls.

How popular is Jan?

65 US babies were named Jan in 2024. Its peak year was 1954.

How do you pronounce Jan?

Jan is usually pronounced yahn.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.