Janelle
Girl name · #800 in 2025 · Uniqueness 65/100
Janelle is currently the #800 girl name in the United States — 340 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #470, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,294 girls born in 2025 was named Janelle.
Babies named Janelle per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
The 113-year story
Janelle first appears in the Social Security records in 1912, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1979, when 1,416 girls were named Janelle — good for #186 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.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Janelle against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Janelle in class?
Janelle scores 65 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Janelle is most common
Geography matters for names, and Janelle is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Janelles were CA (67), TX (49), FL (24), NC (20), NY (18). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Janelle
Statistically, parents drawn to Janelle tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Danielle, Corinne, Johanna, Jamie, and Jolene.
DanielleCorinneJohannaJamieJoleneMichelleArielleNicole
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Janelle | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 340 | #799 |
| 2024 | 363 | #775 |
| 2023 | 418 | #692 |
| 2022 | 435 | #670 |
| 2021 | 448 | #663 |
| 2020 | 427 | #669 |
| 2019 | 549 | #553 |
| 2018 | 527 | #583 |
| 2017 | 628 | #499 |
| 2016 | 667 | #477 |
| 2015 | 680 | #470 |
| 2014 | 713 | #450 |
| 2013 | 777 | #396 |
| 2012 | 739 | #426 |
| 2011 | 813 | #391 |
| 2010 | 813 | #392 |
| 2009 | 781 | #405 |
| 2008 | 884 | #372 |
| 2007 | 817 | #399 |
| 2006 | 824 | #390 |
| 2005 | 571 | #517 |
| 2004 | 526 | #545 |
| 2003 | 606 | #484 |
| 2002 | 585 | #480 |
| 2001 | 588 | #472 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Janelle a popular girl name?
Janelle ranked #800 among girls in 2025 with 340 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #470.
When was the name Janelle most popular?
Janelle peaked in 1979, when 1,416 American girls received the name (ranked #186 that year). Since 1979 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Janelle?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,294 newborn American girls was named Janelle. It scores 65/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.