Jane is a feminine given name. It is the
English form of Jehanne, the
Old French feminine form of Iohannes, a
Latin form of the
Greek name Ἰωάννης (Iōannēs), which is ultimately derived from the
Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan), a short form of the name יְהוֹחָנָן (Yehochanan), meaning "
Yahweh is merciful".[1]
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.
Jane Roe, alias of Norma McCorvey (1947–2017), plaintiff in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in the United States
Literature
Jane Austen (1775–1817), British novelist, known for Emma and Pride and Prejudice
Jane Bowles (1917–1973), American writer and playwright
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.
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 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
This page or section lists people that share the same
given name. If an
internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.
Jane is a feminine given name. It is the
English form of Jehanne, the
Old French feminine form of Iohannes, a
Latin form of the
Greek name Ἰωάννης (Iōannēs), which is ultimately derived from the
Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan), a short form of the name יְהוֹחָנָן (Yehochanan), meaning "
Yahweh is merciful".[1]
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.
Jane Roe, alias of Norma McCorvey (1947–2017), plaintiff in the landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade Supreme Court case that legalized abortion in the United States
Literature
Jane Austen (1775–1817), British novelist, known for Emma and Pride and Prejudice
Jane Bowles (1917–1973), American writer and playwright
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.
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 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
This page or section lists people that share the same
given name. If an
internal link led you here, you may wish to change that link to point directly to the intended article.