Janet
Girl name · #2781 in 2025 · Uniqueness 83/100
In 2025, 61 baby girls were named Janet, placing it at #2781 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1477, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 29,508 girls born in 2025 was named Janet.
The 145-year story
Janet first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 28 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1954, when 18,477 girls were named Janet — good for #19 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Janet per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Janet against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Janet in class?
Janet scores 83 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your Janet will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Janet is most common
Geography matters for names, and Janet is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Janets were CA (8), TX (6), NY (5). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Janet
Statistically, parents drawn to Janet tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Janice, Jayne, Joanne, Joann, and Diane.
JaniceJayneJoanneJoannDianeJackieLornaMona
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Janet | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 61 | #2778 |
| 2024 | 74 | #2434 |
| 2023 | 97 | #2020 |
| 2022 | 104 | #1918 |
| 2021 | 92 | #2071 |
| 2020 | 93 | #2005 |
| 2019 | 123 | #1700 |
| 2018 | 159 | #1406 |
| 2017 | 171 | #1353 |
| 2016 | 162 | #1425 |
| 2015 | 155 | #1477 |
| 2014 | 168 | #1376 |
| 2013 | 189 | #1260 |
| 2012 | 212 | #1158 |
| 2011 | 269 | #952 |
| 2010 | 298 | #889 |
| 2009 | 353 | #804 |
| 2008 | 415 | #717 |
| 2007 | 449 | #658 |
| 2006 | 523 | #561 |
| 2005 | 512 | #562 |
| 2004 | 672 | #452 |
| 2003 | 565 | #507 |
| 2002 | 630 | #456 |
| 2001 | 696 | #412 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Janet a popular girl name?
Janet ranked #2781 among girls in 2025 with 61 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1477.
When was the name Janet most popular?
Janet peaked in 1954, when 18,477 American girls received the name (ranked #19 that year). Since 1954 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Janet?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 29,508 newborn American girls was named Janet. It scores 83/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.