Unisex name · since 1936
Janus
Janus has 127 recorded births since 1936 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1956 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #24,488 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 127
- born since 1936
- 1950s
- peak decade
Janus sits outside today's top ranks for girls, with 127 recorded since 1936.
Janus has 127 recorded births among girls since 1936, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1950s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1936 to 1971.
- #24,488 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 127 born since 1936
- 1950s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Janus ranks #24,488 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 127 born since 1936, peaking in the 1950s.
- #24,488 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 127
- born since 1936
- 1950s
- peak decade
Janus's 127 recorded births place it above 66.07% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Janus's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Janus's SSA record in two at 1951 and the more recent half accounts for 57% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 43%, a genuinely balanced usage pattern. Its calmest year was 1936, with only 5 births recorded -- set against the 1956 peak of 16, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Janus popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1936–1971
- Peak year (1956)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 36 years of records
Janus popularity over time - boys
41 total births recorded since 1922 (Janus as boys' name)
Janus by decade
1950s is the heaviest window (56 births, 44% of the file).
1950s was Janus's strongest decade.
56 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 44% of all-time use.
Janus births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1930s 5
1930s
5 births
- 1940s
1940s
44 births
- 1950s
1950s
56 births
- 1960s 15
1960s
15 births
- 1970s 7
1970s
7 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 56 births (44% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Where does Janus sit in the SSA name archive? ▼
When was Janus most popular? ▼
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What to do with Janus's data
- Janus's decade-level peak was the 1950s (56 total births); usage has since declined to 7 in the 1970s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Janus
Nearby Names Like Janus
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Janus
Compare Janus side by side: Janus vs Janet Janus vs Janice Janus vs Jane
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Janus: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1956)
Similar record span (~35 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1936–1971 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Janus 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 August 2026.