| Jane | Joan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is gracious | God is gracious |
| Origin | english | english |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | JAYN | JOHN |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 0 |
| Peak year | 1947 (9,943) | 1932 (21,044) |
| In 2025 | 1,380 | 0 |
| Trend | Rising | Vintage |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Jane | Joan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 7,112 | 1,031 |
| 2010s | 10,278 | 941 |
| 2000s | 7,123 | 1,003 |
| 1990s | 6,691 | 1,858 |
| 1980s | 7,439 | 3,300 |
| 1970s | 9,483 | 6,480 |
| 1960s | 43,340 | 36,676 |
| 1950s | 82,919 | 85,179 |
| 1940s | 72,537 | 117,708 |
| 1930s | 45,814 | 173,439 |
| 1920s | 48,049 | 45,351 |
| 1910s | 27,740 | 7,021 |
| 1900s | 4,498 | 863 |
| 1890s | 3,882 | 267 |
| 1880s | 2,971 | 121 |
The common English feminine of John, from Old French Jehanne, ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'Yahweh is gracious.' A John-root grace name, distinct from the Hannah-root names.
A medieval English feminine of John, from Old French Johanne, ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' ('Yahweh is gracious'). Like Jane, it descends from John rather than from Hannah.
Jane is more popular than Joan today: about 1,380 US babies were given the name Jane in 2025, compared with 0 named Joan.
Jane means God is gracious (english origin), while Joan means God is gracious (english origin).
In US records, Jane first appears in 1880 and Joan in 0, so Joan has the longer recorded history.