Jane (given name)


Jane is a feminine given name. It is the English form of Jehanne, the [Old French language|French language|Old French] feminine form of Iohannes, a Latin form of the Greek name Ἰωάννης, which is ultimately derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן, a short form of the name יְהוֹחָנָן, meaning "Yahweh is merciful".
The name was first used in large numbers in the mid-16th century for the daughters of aristocrats as an alternative to the more commonplace Joan. The two names have alternated in popularity. In the early 19th century, Jane rose in popular use in association with its perceived glamour. Joan became more popular in the early to mid-20th century, when it was ranked in the top 500 most popular names given to girls in the United States, but it has again been displaced by Jane on the popularity charts in the 21st century.

Name variants

Alternate forms include:
  • Asia
  • Dyeinne
  • Gianna
  • Gianetta
  • Giannetta
  • Giannina
  • Giovanna
  • Hana
  • Johanna, Janka
  • Hanne
  • Hannele
  • Hannie
  • Hansine
  • Hansje, Hanna, Hannie
  • Ioana
  • Ioanna
  • Ionna
  • Ionela
  • Iva
  • Ivana
  • Ivanna
  • Ivanka
  • Jaana
  • Jaapje
  • Jana
  • Jane, Janet, Janice, Jenny, Jennifer, Jeanne, Joan
  • Janae
  • Janeczka
  • Jane
  • Jane
  • Jane
  • Janelle
  • Janes
  • Janet
  • Janete
  • Janice
  • Janica
  • Janina
  • Janine
  • Janka
  • Janna
  • Janne
  • Janneke
  • Janneth
  • Jannetje
  • Jannie
  • Jannike
  • Janotje
  • Jans
  • Jansje
  • Jante
  • Jantina
  • Jantine
  • Jantje
  • Januszy
  • Jasia
  • Jayna
  • Jayne
  • Jean
  • Jeanette
  • Jeanna
  • Jeanne
  • Jeannie
  • Jehanne
  • Jenica
  • Jenka
  • Jenne
  • Jennet
  • Jenni
  • Jennie
  • Jenny
  • Jenjira
  • Jensine
  • Jinn
  • Jinty
  • Joan
  • Joana
  • Joanka
  • Joanna
  • Joanne
  • Joannia
  • Joasia
  • Johana
  • Johanka
  • Johanna
  • Jóhanna
  • Johanne
  • Johanneke
  • Johna
  • Johnet
  • Johnna
  • Johnnie
  • Joan
  • Joina
  • Jóna
  • Jone
  • Jonee
  • Joney
  • Jonie
  • Jovana
  • Jovanka
  • Juana
  • Juanita
  • Jutta
  • Kini
  • Nana
  • Oana
  • Ohanna
  • Seanna
  • Seini
  • Seona
  • Seonag
  • Seónaid
  • Shana
  • Shauna
  • Shavonne
  • Shawn
  • Shawna
  • Sheena
  • Shena
  • Shona
  • Siân
  • Siâni
  • Sian (Irish Language)
  • Sina
  • Sinéidin
  • Síne
  • Sinéad
  • Síneag
  • Siobhán
  • Sion
  • Sioned
  • Siubhan
  • Vanda
  • Vanja
  • Vanna
  • Xana
  • Xoana
  • Yana,,
  • Yanick
  • Yanna
  • Yannic
  • Yannick
  • Yoana
  • Yochanna
  • Zaneta
  • Žaneta
  • Žanna
  • Zhanna
  • Zhannochka
  • Zsanett

People with this name

Arts

Crime

Entertainment

History

Literature

News media

Politics

Religion

Royalty and nobility

Science

Sport

Other

Fictional characters

In law

Jane Doe or Jane Roe is used in American law as a placeholder name for anonymous or unknown female participants in legal proceedings
Jane Doe is used in United States police investigations when the identity of a female victim is unknown or incorrect, and by hospitals to refer to a female corpse or patient whose identity is unknown.

Characters in animation

Comic book characters

Characters in literature

  • Jane, an AI character first introduced in Orson Scott Card's Speaker for the Dead
  • Jane of the Volturi Coven, a character in the Twilight series of novels by Stephenie Meyer
  • Jane Crocker, a character in the webcomic Homestuck by Andrew Hussie
  • Dick and Jane, characters by Zerna Sharp
  • Jane, an entity resembling modern conceptions of AI, from the Ender's Game series
  • Jane, in Jane and the Dragon franchise
  • Jane, any of three characters in The P.L.A.I.N. Janes, 2007 comic & sequels, by Cecil Castellucci
  • Jane, Wendy Darling's daughter from J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan mythos; Jane was also the central character in the Disney Peter Pan movie sequel, Return to Neverland
  • Jane Banks, one of the Banks' children in the Mary Poppins books, film, and stage musical
  • Jane Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice, the eldest sister of the Bennet family
  • Jane Eyre, the titular character of a famous novel by Charlotte Brontë and several film adaptations
  • Jane Gallagher, a character in The Catcher in the Rye, one of the few girls whom Holden both respects and finds attractive
  • Baby Jane Hudson, the titular character in the novel and film What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?
  • Miss Marple, an amateur detective created by Agatha Christie
  • Jane Porter, the sweetheart of Tarzan
  • Jayne Deverill, a Yorkshire witch in the Power of Five series by Anthony Horowitz
  • Jane Studdock, protagonist in That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis
  • Jane O., Dr. Byrd's patient in ''The Strange Case of Jane O.''

Characters in TV, film, and theater

  • Jane, on 7th Heaven
  • Jane Beale, from the BBC soap opera EastEnders
  • Jane Christie, from the TV series Coupling
  • Jayne Cobb, a male character on the sci-fi series Firefly
  • G.I. Jane, a 1997 war movie, with Demi Moore in the leading role
  • Jane Hopper, also known as Eleven, a main character in the Netflix series Stranger Things
  • Jane Ink, a character in the 1971 American comedy-drama movie B.S. I Love You
  • Jane Mancini, on Melrose Place and the 2009 remake
  • Jane Margolis, in the television series Breaking Bad
  • Jane Read, character in the Arthur book and television series
  • Jane Rizzoli, in the television series Rizzoli & Isles
  • Jane Sloan, from the TV series The Bold Type
  • Jane Vaughn, in Degrassi: The Next Generation
  • Jane Gloriana Villanueva, main character of television series ''Jane the Virgin''

Characters in video games

  • Jane, a minor female character in the Tekken video game series
  • Jane Shepard, a playable female version of Commander Shepard in the role-playing third-person shooter Mass Effect series; "Jane Shepard" is the default name for any new female Shepard character that is built in-game, although any name can be entered
  • Jane Doe, a male character most commonly known as "The Soldier" in the popular class-based shooter game ''Team Fortress 2''

In technology

  • Jane, an available voice on devices from TomTom