UK girl's name
Janine
A feminine diminutive form of the French name Jeanne, derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Janine is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Janine popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3519, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 27 births.
This profile covers 175 England and Wales registrations across 18 recorded years from 1996 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 22% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 594 living people in the UK are called Janine. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Janine ranked #3519 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 27 girls were registered as Janine.
- • Janine ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #271 in 1997.
- • About 594 living people in the UK are estimated to have Janine as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3519
2021
Births in 2021
6
Latest year
Peak year
1997
27 births
Estimated living
594
2026
Meaning
What does Janine mean?
The name Janine has its origins in the French language, derived from the male name Janin, which in turn traces its roots back to the medieval French name Jehan, a variant of the biblical name John. This name ultimately comes from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Graced by God" or "God is gracious."
The earliest recorded use of the name Janine dates back to the late 19th century in France, where it emerged as a feminine form of the traditional French names Jean and Jeanne. It gained popularity in the early 20th century, particularly in France and other French-speaking regions.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Janine can be found in the works of French novelist Émile Zola, who featured a character named Janine in his novel "La Terre" published in 1887.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Janine. One of the most famous was Janine Charrat (1924-2021), a French ballet dancer and choreographer who became the director of the Paris Opera Ballet in 1963. Another prominent Janine was Janine Aron-Bevelander (1923-2007), a Dutch-American economist and author known for her work on international trade and development economics.
In the world of sports, Janine Flock (born 1983) is an Austrian professional tennis player who has won several titles on the WTA Tour. Janine Shepherd (born 1962) is an Australian author, aviator, and former cross-country skier, known for her inspirational story of overcoming a near-fatal accident.
Janine Garofalo (born 1964) is an American actress, comedian, and political activist, best known for her roles in films such as "Reality Bites" and "The Truth About Cats & Dogs." Another notable Janine in the entertainment industry is Janine Turner (born 1962), an American actress and writer, famous for her role in the television series "Northern Exposure."
While the name Janine has French origins, it has since been adopted and used in various cultures and languages around the world, carrying with it the essence of grace, elegance, and divine favor.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Janine over time
The chart below shows babies named Janine registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Janine, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2021, compared with 27 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Janine by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Janine was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #3519 | 6 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4832 | 14 | 3 |
| 2000s | #2724 | 76 | 10 |
| 1990s | #1100 | 79 | 4 |
Geography
Where Janine is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Janine. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Janine ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #271 in 1997.
Across the UK
Janine in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#431 in 1994
21 years of NRS records, 423 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#271 in 1997
1 years of NISRA records, 5 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Janine
-
Janine Sandell
volleyball player
British volleyball player
1985-
-
Janine Mellor
actor
English actress
1980-
-
Janine Machin
journalist; television presenter
British broadcaster
1978-
-
Janine Whitlock
athletics competitor
British athlete
1973-
-
Janine Gibson
journalist
British journalist
1972-
-
Janine Josephs
manager
Jamaican manager
1971-
-
Janine Kirby
researcher
researcher
1971-
-
Janine Lawler
canoeist
British canoeist
1965-
Related
Names similar to Janine
- Jessica 105,041
- Jasmine 35,227
- Jade 19,646
- Julia 11,780
- Jennifer 11,529
- Jodie 9,357
- Jemima 6,454
- Josephine 5,889
- Jessie 5,418
- Josie 5,284
- Jasmin 4,706
- Jenna 4,646
FAQ
Janine: questions and answers
How popular is the name Janine in the UK right now?
In 2021, Janine was ranked #3519 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Janine most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 27 babies registered as Janine in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Janine?
A feminine diminutive form of the French name Jeanne, derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan.
How many people are called Janine in the UK?
A total of 175 babies have been registered as Janine across the 18 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 423 more in Scotland and 5 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Janine most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Janine ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #271 in 1997. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.