Jane

• Jayne, Jaine

Variant of Jeanne, from French Jeanne, from Middle French Jehanne, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Latin Ioanna under influence from Latin Iōhannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān) which produced John and its many doublets. As a placeholder name, cf. similar use of John and Jack and earlier use of Joan in the same role.

Doublet of Gianna, Ivana, Jana, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.

• IPA^(key): /d͡ʒeɪn/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -eɪn
• Homophone: Jain

Jane (plural Janes)

1. A female given name from French, the standard feminine form of John since the 17th century.
   • 1605, William Camden, Remains Concerning Britain, John Russell Smith, published 1870, pages 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."

2. A surname originating as a patronymic derived from a Middle English variant of John.

Jane (plural Janes)

1. (colloquial) used as a placeholder name for any woman, especially a young working-class woman
2. (slang) A girlfriend.

   What happened to your regular Jane?

3. Alternative letter-case form of jane (“female client of a prostitute”)

• jane

• Jaen, Jaén, Jean, Jena, jean

• IPA^(key): [ˈjanɛ]
• Rhymes: -anɛ
• Hyphenation: Ja‧ne

Jane

1. vocative singular of Jan

• Jene (archaic)

Jane

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

Jane

1. a female given name, variant of Janne

Jane

1. a female given name derived from Johanne, or borrowed from English

Jane c (genitive Janes)

1. a female given name borrowed from English, less often from Danish or Norwegian