Jane is a feminine given name. It is the English form of the Old French name Jehanne, which was an old feminine form of the male name Johannes or Ioannes (also the source of the English name John), a Latin form of the Greek name Ἰωάννης (Iōannēs), which is derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan), a short form of the name יְהוֹחָנָן (Yehochanan), 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 popularity. In the early 19th century, Jane was again seen as a name with a certain amount of 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 the name has again been displaced by Jane on the popularity charts in the 21st century.
Alternate forms include:
Asia (Polish, Italian)Gianna (Italian)Gianetta (Italian)Giannetta (Italian)Giannina (Italian)Giovanna (Italian)Hana (Czech)Hanna (Hungarian)Hanne (German)Hannele (Finnish)Hannie (Dutch)Hansine (German)Hansje, Hanna, Hannie (Dutch)Ioana (Romanian)Ioanna (Greek, Russian)Ionna (Greek)Ionela (Romanian)Iva (Slavic, Portuguese)Ivana (Czech, Croatian)Ivanna (Russian, Slavic)Ivanka (Czech)Ivanka (Czech, Slavic)Jaana (Finnish)Jaapje (Dutch)Jana (Czech, Latvian, Polish, Albanian)Janae (Modern American, English)Janeczka (Polish)Jane (Estonian)Jane (Circassian: Жьанэ and Джэнэ)Janelle (American)Janes (Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Swedish)Janet (English, Scots)Janete (Portuguese)Janice (English, Portuguese)Janica (Czech)Janina (Polish)Janine (English, Portuguese)Janka (Czech, Hungarian)Janna (Dutch, English, Swedish)Janne (Norwegian)Janneke (Dutch)Janneth (Scots)Jannetje (Dutch)Jannie (Dutch)Jannike (Scandinavian)Janotje (Dutch)Jans (Hebrew)Jansje (Dutch)Jante (Dutch)Jantina (Dutch)Jantine (Dutch)Jantje (Dutch)Januszy (Slavic)Jasia (Polish)Jayna (English)Jayne (English)Jean (English, Scots)Jeanette (French)Jeanna (English)Jeanne (French)Jeannie (English, Scots)Jehanne (French)Jenica (Romanian)Jenka (Czech)Jenne (Dutch)Jennet (Scots)Jenni (English)Jennie (English)Jenny (English)Jensine (Danish, Norwegian)Jerneese (Puerto Rican)Jinn (Manx)Jinty (Scots)Joan (English, Manx)Joana (Catalan, Portuguese)Joanka (Polish)Joanna (English, Polish)Joanne (English)Joannia (Manx)Joasia (Polish)Johana (Dutch)Johanka (Czech)Johanna (Czech, Danish, Dutch, German, Norwegian, Swedish, Hungarian)Jóhanna (Icelandic)Johanne (Danish, Norwegian)Johanneke (Dutch)Johna (English)Johnet (Manx)Johnna (English)Johnnie (English)Joan (English)Joina (DanishJóna (Icelandic)Jone (Basque)Jonee (Manx)Joney (Manx)Jonie (English)Jovana (Serbian: Јована)Jovanka (Serbian: Јованка)Juana (Spanish)Juanita (Spanish)Jutta (German)Kini (Hawaiian)Nana (Greek: Νανα)Oana (Romanian)Ohanna (Armenian)Seanna (English)Seini (Tongan)Seona (Scots)Seonag (Scottish Gaelic)Seónaid (Scottish Gaelic)Shana (English)Shauna (English)Shavonne (English)Shawn (Irish)Shawna (English)Sheena (Scots)Shena (Irish)Shona (Scots)Siân (Welsh)Siâni (Welsh)Sina (Irish Gaelic)Sinéidin (Irish)Síne (Irish Gaelic)Sinéad (Irish Gaelic)Síneag (Scottish)Siobhán (Irish Gaelic)Sion (Welsh)Sioned (Welsh)Siubhan (Scottish Gaelic)Vanda (Portuguese)Vanja (Scandinavian, Slovenian)Vanna (Italian)Xoana (Galician)Yana (Russian),(Slavic)Yanick (Breton, French)Yanna (Greek)Yannic (Breton, French)Yannick (Breton, French)Yochanna (Hebrew)Zaneta (Russian)Zanna (Latvian)Zhanna (Russian)Zhannochka (Russian: Жанночка)Zsanett (Hungarian)Jhane Barnes, fashion designer ("h" added as adult)Jane Burden (1839–1914), pre-Raphaelite model and muse, known for her beautyJane Antonia Cornish (born 1975), British Contemporary classical music composerJane Dyer, children's book illustratorJane Frank (1918–1986), American artistJane Kelly (born 1956), artist and journalistJane Adams (born 1965), American actressJane "Poni" Adams (born 1921), American actressJane Asher (born 1946), English actress and authorJane Badler (born 1953), actressJane Birkin (born 1946), actress and singerJane Bryan (1918–2009), American actressJane Curtin (born 1947), American actress and comedianJane Fonda (born 1937), American actress, former fitness instructor, and daughter of actor Henry FondaJane Foole (fl. 1558), English court jesterJane Garvey (born 1964), British radio presenterJane Goldman (born 1970), British writer and television presenter; wife of Jonathan RossEllie Goulding (born 1986 as Elena Jane Goulding), British singerJane Kaczmarek (born 1955), American actressJane Krakowski (born 1968), American actressJane Lapotaire (born 1944), English actressJane Lynch (born 1960), American actressJane March (born 1973), English actressJane McDonald (born 1963), English singer and television starJane McGrath (born 1988), Irish actressJane McGregor (born 1983), Canadian actressJane Monheit (born 1977), American singerJane Novak (1896–1990), American actressJane Pickens, American singer and leader of The Pickens SistersJane Powell (born 1929), American actress and singerJane Russell (1921–2011), American actress and sex symbolJane Seymour (born 1951), English actressJane Siberry (born 1955), Canadian singer/songwriter, has changed her name to "Issa"Jane Taylor (born 1972), English musicianJane Wiedlin (born 1958), American singer and rhythm guitarist, sometime member of the Go-Go'sJane Winton (1905–1959), American actress, writer, dancer, painter and opera SopranoJane Withers (born 1926), American actress, model and singerJane Wyatt (1910–2006), American actressJane Wyman (1917–2007), American actress and ex-wife of President Ronald ReaganCalamity Jane (1852–1903), U.S. frontierswomanJane Addams (1860–1935), American Nobel Peace Prize-winning social worker and co-founder of Hull HouseJane Horney (born 1918), Swedish spy during WWIIJane Roe, alias of Norma Leah McCorvey, plaintiff in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in the United StatesJane Austen (1775–1817), British novelist, known for Emma and Pride and PrejudiceJane Louise Curry (born 1932), American writerJane Lindskold (born 1962), American authorJane Taylor (1783–1824), English poet and novelistJane Wilde Hawking (born 1944), ex-wife of Stephen HawkingJane Yolen (born 1939), American authorJane Hamilton (born 1957), American authorJane Eaton Hamilton (born 1954), Canadian authorJane Hill (born 1969), British newsreaderJane Pauley (born 1950), American television journalistJane Elliott (born 1933), American civil rights activist, known for "Blue eyes–Brown eyes" exercise.Jane Harman (born 1945), member of the United States House of Representatives, representing California's 36th congressional districtJane Hill (born 1936), Australian politicianJane Elizabeth Faulding (1843–1904), British Protestant Christian missionaryJane Frances de Chantal (1572–1641), French saintRoyalty and nobility
Jane Loeau (1828–1873), Hawaiian noble ladyLady Jane Grey (1537–1554), Queen of England, also known as "Jane of England"Jane Seymour (1508–1537), Queen and wife of King Henry VIII of EnglandJane Spencer, Baroness Churchill (1826–1900)Jane Boleyn, Viscountess Rochford (1505–1542)Jane Wharton, 7th Baroness Wharton (1706–1761)Jane Fellowes, Baroness Fellowes (born 1957)Jane Lane, Lady Fisher (1626–1689), played a heroic role in the escape of Charles II in 1651Jane Colden (1724–1766), American botanistJane Goodall (born 1934), English primatologist, known for studying chimpanzees and founder of the Jane Goodall InstituteJane McGrath (1966–2008), co-founder of the McGrath FoundationJane Burley (born 1971), Scottish field hockey midfielderJane Frederick (born 1952), American heptathleteJane Haist (born 1949), Canadian discus thrower and shot putterJane Patterson, Canadian judokaJane Salumäe (born 1968), Estonian long-distance runnerJayne Torvill (born 1957), British ice-dancer and 1984 Olympic gold medalist with partner Christopher Dean(Jane Mbeha)born 2001,Botswana badminton player in Kasane.Jane Doe or Jane Roe is used in American law as a placeholder name for anonymous or unknown female participants in legal proceedings. "Jane Roe" was the legal pseudonym used by Norma McCorvey when she was plantiff in the landmark American case Roe v. Wade.
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.
Jane Doe, on the animated series Camp LazloJane Jetson, from the animated series The JetsonsJane Lane, on the television show DariaJane Dickey, on the short-lived series Welcome to EltingvilleJane Foster, a Marvel Comics characterPainkiller Jane, a comic book character that spawned a made-for-TV movie and a TV seriesJane Crocker, a character in the webcomic Homestuck by Andrew HussieDick and Jane, characters by Zerna SharpJane, an entity resembling modern conceptions of AI, from the Ender's Game seriesJane, 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 NeverlandJane Banks, one of the Banks' children, a child of Mr. and Mrs. Banks in the Mary Poppins books, film, and stage musicalJane Bennet, in Pride and Prejudice, the eldest sister of the Bennet familyJane Eyre, the titular character of a famous novel by Charlotte Brontë and several film adaptationsBaby Jane Hudson, the titular character in What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?Jane Lambert, a character in the book series School 101Miss Marple (first name Jane), an amateur detective created by Agatha ChristieJane Porter, the sweetheart of TarzanJane, a member of the Volturi guard in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight sagaJayne Deverill, a Yorkshire witch in the Power of Five series by Anthony HorowitzJane Studdock, protagonist in That Hideous Strength by C.S. LewisCharacters in TV, film, and theater
Jane, on 7th HeavenJane Christie, from the TV series CouplingJane Beale (previously Collins), from the BBC soap opera EastEndersJayne Cobb, a male character on the sci-fi series FireflyG.I. Jane, a 1997 war movie, with Demi Moore in the leading roleJane Mancini, on Melrose Place and the 2009 remakeJane Vaughn, in Degrassi: The Next GenerationJane Margolis, in the television series Breaking BadJane Rizzoli, in the television series Rizzoli & IslesJane, a minor female character in the Tekken video game seriesJane 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
