Jan

In northern Europe, Jan has served for centuries as a standard male equivalent of John, derived from the Hebrew Yochanan. American nurseries took a different route in the twentieth century, adopting it primarily as an independent short form of Janet, Janice, or Janice-adjacent names. The record reflects this split, though American usage leaned roughly seven to three toward daughters.

A Jan is usually imagined with an acetate visor, a label maker, and an extremely tidy glove compartment. The name belongs largely to the middle of the twentieth century, where it peaked in 1954 before receding into the background. It sounds brisk and gets straight to business without lingering on unnecessary syllables. Today, two out of every three living Jans are Baby Boomers.