Jan

At a Glance: Name: Jan – Meaning: God is gracious (form of John) – Origin: Dutch/Slavic/Scandinavian (form of John) – Gender: Neutral – Pronunciation: YAHN

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Jan is a neutral name, pronounced YAHN, that serves as the Dutch, Slavic, and Scandinavian form of John, carrying the meaning "God is gracious." It spans a few different styles at once — timeless, classic, clean, modern, and worldly — which makes it read as both old and pared-down simultaneously. If you want a short, cross-cultural name with real history behind it, Jan fits that brief.

Meaning & Origin of Jan

Meaning: God is gracious (form of john).

Origin: Dutch/Slavic/Scandinavian (form of John).

Source: Wiktionary.

How to Pronounce Jan

Phonetic: YAHN   IPA: /ˈjɑːn/

Popularity of Jan

SSA records for Jan go back to 1902, and the name peaked in 1954 at #131 with 2,992 babies given that name. By 2024 it had dropped to #2211, with only 65 babies named Jan.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1902–2024.

Make Jan Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Jan, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Vic
• Asher
• Daan
• Dominique
• Elliot
• Elliott

FAQ

What does the name Jan mean?

God is gracious (form of john). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Jan)

How do you pronounce Jan?

Jan is pronounced YAHN (IPA: /ˈjɑːn/).

Is Jan a popular name right now?

Jan peaked at #131 in 1954 and is ranked #2211 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1902–2024.)

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