Total births
48,841
Girls' name · since 1909
Janis
Janis has 48,841 recorded births since 1909 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1947 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #8989
- among girls today
- 48,841
- born since 1909
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
48,841 babies have been named Janis since 1909, making it today's #8989 girls' name.
Social Security Administration records show Janis recorded 48,841 times among girls since 1909, holding rank #8989 nationally today, ahead of 49% of girls, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1909 to 2025.
- #8989 among girls today
- 48,841 born since 1909
- 1950s peak decade
- 49% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Janis is currently the #8989 girls' name in America, more common than 49% of girls - 48,841 born since 1909, peaking in the 1950s.
- #8989
- among girls today
- 48,841
- born since 1909
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 49%
- more common than other girls
Janis vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8989
of 17,726 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.
How Janis compares
48,841 Top 3% higher than 97% 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
Janis's all-time total is 128x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Janis | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 48,841 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 3,205 | 48 | 19,840 |
Janis's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Janis's SSA record in two at 1967 and the more recent half accounts for 10% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 90%, consistent with a name more common in the past than in recent years. Its calmest year was 1909, with only 6 births recorded -- set against the 1947 peak of 3,205, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Janis at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1947
Current rank
#8,989
Active since
1909
Janis popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1909–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 3,205
- Annual births at peak, across 117 years of records
Janis popularity over time - boys
174 total births recorded since 1928 (Janis as boys' name)
Janis by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Janis's strongest decade.
18,673 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 38% of all-time use.
Janis births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1900s 6
1900s
6 births
- 1910s 389
1910s
389 births
- 1920s 1,474
1920s
1,474 births
- 1930s 4,633
1930s
4,633 births
- 1940s
1940s
14,862 births
- 1950s
1950s
18,673 births
- 1960s 4,968
1960s
4,968 births
- 1970s 1,853
1970s
1,853 births
- 1980s 865
1980s
865 births
- 1990s 461
1990s
461 births
- 2000s 343
2000s
343 births
- 2010s 253
2010s
253 births
- 2020s 61
2020s
61 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 18,673 births (38% of all-time use).
How Janis 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 Janis's total volume
Janis vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Janis by state
Where Janis concentrates geographically, total births since 1909
| 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 48,841 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? ▼
Since 1909, Social Security records show 48,841 babies named Janis. Today it holds rank #8989 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1947, with 3,205 births.
When was Janis most popular? ▼
Janis was most popular in the 1950s decade with 18,673 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 117 years of data through 2025.
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.
What to do with Janis's data
- Janis's decade-level peak was the 1950s (18,673 total births); usage has since declined to 61 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Janiss (4,706 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 Janis
Nearby Names Like Janis
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Janis
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 Janis side by side: Janis vs Janet Janis vs Janice Janis vs Jane
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Janis
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, 1909–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Janis: #8989 Girls' Name - 48,841 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/janis. 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 Janis 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.