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Jane

Jane is a feminine given name widely used in English-speaking countries. It derives from the Old French Jehanne, the feminine form of Jehan (John), which traces to Latin Ioannes. The meaning is commonly understood as “God is gracious.” The name has appeared in literature and history since the Middle Ages and remains common today as a stand-alone given name or as the feminine form of John.

Variants include Jeanne (French), Joan, Joann, and Janet. Diminutives and affectionate forms include Jan, Janie, and

Notable people named Jane include Jane Austen, the 18th- and 19th-century novelist; Jane Goodall, the primatologist

Beyond personal names, Jane appears in cultural and geographic contexts and is used in various languages as

Jani.
Related
names
include
Joanne
and
Janice,
as
well
as
culturally
adapted
forms
such
as
Giovanna
in
Italian
and
Juana
in
Spanish.
and
conservationist;
Jane
Fonda,
the
actress
and
activist;
Jane
Campion,
the
filmmaker;
Jane
Seymour,
the
Tudor
queen;
Jane
Addams,
the
social
reformer;
and
Jane
Lynch,
the
actress
and
comedian.
In
fiction,
Jane
Eyre
is
the
title
character
of
Charlotte
Brontë's
novel;
Jane
Porter
appears
in
Tarzan
stories;
and
Jane
Foster
is
a
Marvel
Comics
character
who
becomes
Thor.
a
variant
of
John.