girl's name
January
- Origin Polish
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 4
- Letters 7
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 2,170
January is a girl's name with 4 syllables. In 2025 it was given to 9 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
- January is a name of Polish origin.
- Peaked in 1978, when 257 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 368,460 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1951.
- 4 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
January over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1950s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1950s | 17 |
| 1960s | 75 |
| 1970s | 1,000 |
| 1980s | 517 |
| 1990s | 116 |
| 2000s | 115 |
| 2010s | 239 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 91 |
How popular is January?
In 2025, January was given to 9 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
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 January
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like January also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with January over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
Sibling names for January
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with January — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about January
How popular is the name January?
In 2025, January was given to 9 babies in the United States. It is a rare choice.
Is January a girl's or a boy's name?
January is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in January?
January has 4 syllables.
When was January most popular?
January peaked in 1978, when 257 babies were given the name. Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
Is January a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. January currently ranks #10,574 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.