Holding steady, #10,107 for girls today.
Popularity of Janani since 1988
Babies named Janani per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 2004, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Janani's real moment was 2010.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1980s | 5 |
| 1990s | 60 |
| 2000s | 144 |
| 2010s | 141 |
| 2020s | 38 |
Meaning & origin
Janani is a Sanskrit name meaning 'mother' or 'origin,' deeply rooted in Hindu tradition. First recorded in U.S. data in 1988, it reached its peak popularity in 2010, reflecting growing interest in names with cultural and spiritual significance. Despite its modest rank of 10,107 in 2025, Janani maintains a stable trajectory, with about 1 in 178,585 newborn girls receiving the name. Its use remains concentrated among families of South Asian heritage, and it has not yet appeared among the most popular names in any state. The name's etymological connection to the root 'jan' (to be born) ties it to concepts of creation and nurturing, making it a meaningful choice within its cultural context.
Janani comes from the Sanskrit root 'jan' meaning 'to be born' or 'to produce.' It is used in Hindu tradition as a word for mother and as an epithet for the goddess Durga. The name has been used in South Asia, particularly in India and Sri Lanka, and gained some popularity among the Indian diaspora in the United States starting in the late 1980s.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Janu, Nani, Jana
Sibling names for Janani
Names that share Janani's style, for a brother or sister.
