girl's name
Janice
JAN-iss (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 6
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 411,686
Janice is a girl's name usually credited to a 1899 novel, though it is on record from 1894 — five years before the book. It means God is gracious through Jane, and it peaked in 1951.
- Janice is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1951, when 15,981 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 47,364 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1894.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Janice Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1890s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 18 |
| 1900s | 455 |
| 1910s | 2,941 |
| 1920s | 11,831 |
| 1930s | 49,548 |
| 1940s | 119,227 |
| 1950s | 133,881 |
| 1960s | 58,183 |
| 1970s | 14,917 |
| 1980s | 7,529 |
| 1990s | 3,951 |
| 2000s | 2,807 |
| 2010s | 1,792 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 525 |
What Janice Means
Janice means God is gracious, inherited through Jane from the Hebrew Yochanan. The -ice ending is decorative and adds nothing to the sense, in the same way that Bernice and Candice carry their own endings.
Where Janice Comes From
Janice is Jane with an -ice ending, on the model of Bernice and Candice, and it carries Jane's meaning: God is gracious, from the Hebrew Yochanan by way of John. Paul Leicester Ford's bestselling 1899 novel Janice Meredith is usually credited with launching it, and the book was certainly what made it common. But the name is on record from 1894, five years earlier, so Ford took a name that already existed in small numbers rather than inventing one — the same relationship Miley has with its famous bearer, and the opposite of Pamela and Amanda, which began on the page.
Janice in Use
Janice peaked in the United States in 1951, when 15,981 babies were registered, and is falling. It now ranks 2,177th in England and Wales, 2,520th in the United States on 70 births and 2,918th in France, across 411,686 lifetime births in four markets. Records begin in 1894, which is what allows the novel's role to be tested rather than assumed.
How Popular Is Janice?
In 2025, Janice was given to 70 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Janice Is Used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Janice
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Janice Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Janice over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Janice
- English JAN-iss /ˈdʒæn.ɪs/
1 nickname for Janice
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Janice in Other Languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling Names for Janice
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Janice — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Janice
What does the name Janice mean?
God is gracious, inherited through Jane from the Hebrew Yochanan.
Was Janice invented for a novel?
The 1899 novel Janice Meredith made it common, but the name is on record from 1894 — so it existed first.
Is it Janice or Janis?
Both are used; Janice is much the more common spelling on record.
How popular is Janice?
2,520th in the United States, down from a 1951 peak of 15,981 births.
Is Janice a girl's or a boy's name?
Janice is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Janice?
Janice has 2 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Janice?
Janice is usually shortened to Jan.
Is Janice a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Janice currently ranks #1,358 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.