Total births
1,968
Girls' name · since 1917
Janella
1,968 babies named Janella in U.S. Social Security records since 1917, with the highest year being 1971. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #6965
- among girls today
- 1,968
- born since 1917
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 61%
- more common than other girls
Janella currently ranks #6965 among girls' names in America, with 1,968 babies recorded since 1917.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Janella has been recorded 1,968 times among girls since 1917, currently ranked #6965 nationally and more common than 61% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1970s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1917 to 2025.
- #6965 among girls today
- 1,968 born since 1917
- 1970s peak decade
- 61% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Janella is currently the #6965 girls' name in America, more common than 61% of girls - 1,968 born since 1917, peaking in the 1970s.
- #6965
- among girls today
- 1,968
- born since 1917
- 1970s
- peak decade
- 61%
- more common than other girls
Janella vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#6965
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 61% of names given to girls today.
1970s
Peak decade
21% of everyone ever named Janella was born in this single decade.
1971
Single peak year
58 babies were named Janella in 1971 - its busiest year on record.
How Janella compares
1,968 Top 22% higher than 78% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Janella's all-time total is 5x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Janella | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 1,968 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 58 | 48 | 19,840 |
Janella's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Janella splits its recorded history at 1974: 59% of all births land in the more recent half, 41% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1917 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1971 peak of 58 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Janella at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1971
Current rank
#6,965
Active since
1917
Janella popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1917–2025
- Peak year (1971)
- 58
- Annual births at peak, across 109 years of records
Janella by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1970s was Janella's strongest decade.
410 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 21% of all-time use.
Janella births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1910s 5
1910s
5 births
- 1920s 41
1920s
41 births
- 1930s 82
1930s
82 births
- 1940s 129
1940s
129 births
- 1950s
1950s
209 births
- 1960s
1960s
179 births
- 1970s
1970s
410 births
- 1980s
1980s
274 births
- 1990s
1990s
194 births
- 2000s 129
2000s
129 births
- 2010s
2010s
234 births
- 2020s 82
2020s
82 births
What this shows Peak: 1970s at 410 births (21% of all-time use).
How Janella compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Janella's total volume
Janella vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Janella by state
Where Janella concentrates geographically, total births since 1917
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 102 | 5.2% |
| #2 | New York | | 28 | 1.4% |
| #3 | Ohio | | 13 | 0.7% |
| #4 | Louisiana | | 10 | 0.5% |
| #5 | Pennsylvania | | 6 | 0.3% |
| #6 | Florida | | 5 | 0.3% |
| #7 | Washington | | 5 | 0.3% |
California share of Janella's total US births 5.2%
Even split
102 of 1,968 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 7 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Janella? ▼
Janella has been given to 1,968 babies in the U.S. since 1917, according to SSA data. Among girls, it ranks #6965 as of the latest data. 58 babies were born in 1971, its single highest year.
When was Janella most popular? ▼
Janella was most popular in the 1970s decade with 410 total births. The single peak year was 1971.
Where is Janella most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Janella are California (102 births), New York (28 births), Ohio (13 births).
How long has the name Janella been used? ▼
The SSA has tracked Janella since 1917 -- 109 years through the most recent 2025 data.
What names are similar to Janella? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Janet, Janice, Jane, Janie, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Janella's data
- Janella's decade-level peak was the 1970s (410 total births); usage has since declined to 82 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Janellas (102 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Janella
Nearby Names Like Janella
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Janella
Janet Girl
#2435 556,776 births
Janice Girl
#2250 406,448 births
Jane Girl
#269 379,876 births
Janie Girl
#1536 75,598 births
Janelle Girl
#776 56,881 births
Compare Janella side by side: Janella vs Janet Janella vs Janice Janella vs Jane
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Janella
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1917–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Janella: #6965 Girls' Name - 1,968 Births, Peak 1971." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/janella. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Janella draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.