Proper noun

1. ; the standard feminine form of John since the 17th century.
2. derived from a variant of John.

Related terms

• Jan
• Janelle
• Janet
• Janice
• Janie
• Janine
• Janis
• Jean
• Jeanette
• Jeanne
• Jeannette

• Jenna
• Jennie
• Jenny
• Jessie
• Jo
• Joan
• Joann
• Joanna
• Jodi
• Jodie
• Jody
• Johanna
• Juanita

Quotations

• 1605 William Camden: Remains Concerning Britain. John Russell Smith, 1870. p.103-104:

  In latter years some of the better and nicer sort, misliking Joan, have mollified the name of Joan into Jane, as it may seem, for that Jane is never found in old Records; and as some will, never before the time of King Henry the eight.

• 1830 Mary Russell Mitford, Our Village: Fourth Series: Cottage Names:

  People will please their fancies, and every lady has favourite names. I myself have several, and they are mostly short and simple. Jane, that queenly name! Jane Seymour, Jane Grey, 'the noble Jane de Montford;' - - -

• 1912 Saki (H.H.Munro) , The Secret Sin of Septimus Brope:

  "What I mean is," said Mrs. Riversedge, "that when I get maids with unsuitable names I call them Jane; they soon get used to it."

  "An excellent plan," said the aunt of Clovis coldly; "unfortunately I have got used to being called Jane myself. It happens to be my name."

Noun

1. A woman, often specifically a girlfriend

   What happened to your regular Jane?

Proper noun

1. , a Danish diminutive of Christiane, Juliane and Mariane, today also associated with the English Jane.

Proper noun

1. , variant of , from Johanna.

Proper noun

1. derived from Johanne, or borrowed from English.

Proper noun

1. borrowed from English, less often from Danish or Norwegian.