Jane

See also: jane and janë

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

From French Jeanne, from Old French Jehane, from Medieval Latin Johanna; from Latin Iōhannēs (variant of Iōannēs), from New Testament Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Biblical Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yōḥānān), perhaps contracted from a former יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān, God is gracious).

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /d͡ʒeɪn/
  • Rhymes: -eɪn
  • Homophone: Jain

Proper noun

Jane (plural Janes)

  1. A female given name; the standard feminine form of John since the 17th century.
    • 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."
  2. A patronymic surname derived from a Middle English variant of John.

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

Jane (plural Janes)

  1. (informal) A woman, often specifically a girlfriend.
    What happened to your regular Jane?
  2. A female client of a prostitute

Alternative forms

Anagrams


Cebuano

Etymology

From English Jane, from French Jeanne, from Old French Jehane, from Medieval Latin Johanna; from Latin Iōhannēs (variant of Iōannēs), from New Testament Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Biblical Hebrew יוֹחָנָן (Yōḥānān), perhaps contracted from a former יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān, God is gracious).

Proper noun

Jane

  1. a female given name

Danish

Proper noun

Jane

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

Estonian

Proper noun

Jane

  1. A female given name, variant of Janne, from Johanna.

Norwegian

Proper noun

Jane

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

Swedish

Proper noun

Jane c (genitive Janes)

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