The Baby Name Wizard

Reader Contributions

Contribute to, or edit, this collection of community wisdom on the name Janet!

Comments and insights on the name Janet: | Edit

I like the name Janet even though most Janets are now 60+ and many people perceive it to be a grandma's name. I think Janet falls into the same category of names as Nancy and Karen: attractive, respectable female names that will probably see a resurgence in 20-30 years.

Personal experiences with the name Janet: | Edit

Janet in Mexico is pronounced like Janette.

My mother's name is Janet. She was born in the 50's and has a twin sister named Joanne. I always associate my mom's name with the era she grew up in. She was a huge Beatles fan and very stylish in high-school. She looked kind of like Marcia Brady. She grew up to be a drill instructor in the U.S. Navy at a time when few women were doing that sort of thing, yet. So for me, the name Janet implies strength, history, no-nonsense, discipline, hard work, and nostalgia.

Nicknames for Janet: | Edit

Jan, Netty, Juanita, Jenny, Jannie

Meanings and history of the name Janet: | Edit

My mother always told me that my name meant, "gracious gift of God", a variation of the one you list. Also I was born on Sunday, "full of grace" and all that! My middle name is Irene, which means "peace". So all in all, who could not like the name Janet Irene? I admit it's a bit dated now and I hated it when I was younger. I tried "Jan" for awhile in high school, but it never stuck in the long run. By the time I was 30, I thought it was a good name and was glad I didn't have one of those popular names I used to wish for--they all ended in "i" or "y". Two of my granddaughters have my middle name as their middle names. I hope Janet will make a comeback in future years--maybe a great grandchild? I like it when it goes with a surname that also starts with "J" as in Janet Jackson.

I would dispute your pronunciation key: It should be JA-net, (NOT JA-nit) in my view. Also I'd like to add that the Scottish Gaelic for Janet is Sheena, which is nice and doesn't have the "grandma" sound that apparently has befallen my name.

I too have always heard JA-net, not JA-nit and have never pronounced it that way.

Famous real-life people named Janet: | Edit

Janet Leigh, actress
Janet Jackson, entertainer
Janet Evans, Olympic Swimmer
Janet Evanovich, author
Janet Reno, first female U.S. Attorney General

Janet in song, story & screen: | Edit

Janet (of Brad & Janet), the character played by Susan Sarandon in the film "The Rocky Horror Picture Show"
Janet Dawkins, heroine of the British television comedy "My Hero"
Janet Gavin, character and wife of firefighter Tommy Gavin on the TV series "Rescue Me"
Janet Wood, character on '70s-'80s sitcom "Three's Company"
Janet van Dyne, secret identity of the Wasp in Marvel comics