US rank #8962 Girls' name Peak 1947 48,830 births

Janis — #8962 US girls' name

48,830 babies named Janis in U.S. Social Security records since 1909, with the highest year being 1947. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.

1900s61910s3891920s14741930s46331940s148621950s186741960s49671970s18531980s8651990s4612000s3432010s2522020s51
#8962
of 17,661 girls in use

More common than 49% of names given to girls today.

1950s
Peak decade

38% of everyone ever named Janis was born in this single decade.

1947
Single peak year

3,205 babies were named Janis in 1947 — its busiest year on record.

What the Data Says About Janis

The Social Security Administration has registered 48,830 babies named Janis between 1909 and 2024, spanning 116 consecutive years of U.S. birth records. As a girl's name, Janis currently holds the #8962 rank among girls for 2024. The name reached its historical peak in 1947, when 3,205 babies received it in a single year.

Decade-level aggregation shows that Janis performed strongest in the 1950s, accumulating 18,674 births during that ten-year window. Across the 13 decades of recorded activity, Janis shows a clear decline from its mid-century high. Geographically, the name is most concentrated in California, which accounts for 4,706 births — the largest state-level total in the dataset — followed by Texas and Illinois. In total, SSA state-level files list Janis in 50 of the 51 U.S. reporting jurisdictions.

No etymological entry is currently available for Janis in our reference dataset. These figures derive from SSA's annual national and state-level name files, which include any name appearing at least five times in a given year or state-year; names below that threshold are suppressed for privacy and therefore excluded from the totals shown here. The 48,830 total represents a lower bound — actual usage may be higher in years or states where the count fell below the disclosure floor. This page is provided for informational and research purposes only and does not constitute personal, legal, or naming advice.

Janis at a glance

Outside the top 1,000

Total births

48,830

Since 1909

116 years of records

Peak year

1947

3,205 births that year

Strongest decade: 1950s

Current rank

#8,962

Among girls

As of 2024

Active since

1909

Recorded for 116 years

Last year on file: 2024

Janis popularity over time — girls

Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 2024–1909

Outside the top 1,000
Peak year (1947)
3,205
Annual births at peak — across 116 years of records
-1,00001,0002,0003,0004,000 202420091994197919641949193419191909 6

Janis popularity over time — boys

174 total births recorded since 1928 (Janis as boys' name)

Unisex variant — 174 births
468101214 20231973196219531948194419371928 5

Janis by decade

Total births in each ten-year window — peak vs trough at a glance

Peak: 1950s
Peak decade
1950s
18,674 births that decade — 38% of Janis's all-time total
1900s61910s3891920s14741930s46331940s148621950s186741960s49671970s18531980s8651990s4612000s3432010s2522020s51

Janis by state

Where Janis concentrates geographically — total births since 1909

Geographically diffuse
Top 8 states by recorded births for the name Janis
Rank State Visual share Births Share of total
#1 California
4,706 9.6%
#2 Texas
3,928 8.0%
#3 Illinois
2,965 6.1%
#4 Ohio
2,711 5.6%
#5 New York
2,704 5.5%
#6 Michigan
2,506 5.1%
#7 Pennsylvania
2,123 4.3%
#8 Missouri
1,424 2.9%
California share of Janis's total US births 9.6%
Even split

4,706 of 48,830 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 50 reporting states.

Janis appears in 50 states. Explore state details →

Frequently Asked Questions

How popular is the name Janis?
48,830 babies have been named Janis since 1909. It currently ranks #8962 among girls. The peak year was 1947 with 3,205 births.
When was Janis most popular?
Janis was most popular in the 1950s decade with 18,674 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is Janis most popular?
The top states for the name Janis are California (4,706 births), Texas (3,928 births), Illinois (2,965 births).
How long has the name Janis been used?
Janis has been recorded in Social Security data since 1909, spanning 116 years of data through 2024.
What names are similar to Janis?
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.

Keep exploring Janis

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Data Sources

Data as of 2024. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).

Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications — National Data, 1909–2024 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames). National-level data includes all names with 5 or more occurrences in a given year.

State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names — State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip). Includes all names with 5 or more occurrences per state per year; rarer names are excluded for privacy.