Holding steady.
Popularity of Janne since 1916
Babies named Janne per year in U.S. Social Security records.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 5 |
| 1920s | 5 |
| 1930s | 21 |
| 1940s | 118 |
| 1950s | 160 |
| 1960s | 73 |
| 1970s | 34 |
| 1980s | 34 |
| 1990s | 42 |
| 2000s | 19 |
| 2010s | 0 |
| 2020s | 0 |
Meaning & origin
Janne is a name with dual Scandinavian heritage, functioning as a masculine name in Sweden and Finland and a feminine variant in some English-speaking contexts. Its first recorded U.S. use was in 1916, and while it has never ranked in the top 1,000, it reached its peak popularity in 1951. The name has remained stable in usage over the decades, never seeing widespread adoption but maintaining a quiet presence. Janne is most commonly associated with Nordic roots, where it serves as a familiar short form of Johannes or Johan. Today, it is a rare but distinctive choice that avoids the mainstream without feeling invented.
Janne is a Scandinavian and Finnish diminutive of John, ultimately from the Hebrew Yohanan meaning 'God is gracious'. In Finland and Sweden, it has been used as an independent given name since the early 20th century. The name is considered a masculine form in Scandinavia but in the United States it has sometimes been used for girls, possibly as a variant of Jenny.
“Janne” around the world
Where Janne lands in the latest official birth statistics abroad, matched to the U.S. spelling.
France
5
babies in 2024
Sources: INSEE (France).
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Janna, Jan
Sibling names for Janne
Names that share Janne's style, for a brother or sister.
