Jan
Meaning
“God is gracious (Polish form of John)”
Say it: YAHN (the Slavic and Dutch name; the midcentury American girls' name says JAN)
Famously borne by Jan Zizka, the Hussite general who never lost a battle, even after losing his sight.
The formal names behind Jan
Jan is an established short form of each of these names.
Janet · Hebrew origin · God is gracious
Janice · Hebrew origin · feminine form of John, 'God is gracious'
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Jan peaked in the 1950s.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
2,527 people · the #4,391 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 83,333 · median age 33
Among people named Jan living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1970s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 63 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Jan
Most people given the name Jan in the United States were born between 1950 and 1979. The Jan you meet today is most often in his 60s or 70s.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Jan deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Jan truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Jan fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Jan travels
Catalan · God is gracious (Catalan and Dutch form of John); a Catalonia top-5 boys' name, pronounced with the soft Catalan j
Keep exploring
Catalan baby names · Polish baby names · Names of generals and commanders · Short names
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