Meaning & Origin
A female given name.
Janice is a girl's and boy's baby name of Hebrew origin, an elaborated form of Jane, which comes from the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious." The name was coined in the early 20th century as a more melodic variant of Jan or Jane.
Janice peaked in U.S. popularity in the 1940s and early 1950s. The character Janice Soprano in The Sopranos — complex, scheming, and surprisingly sympathetic — gave the name an unexpectedly rich dramatic identity. Janice Joplin (known as Janis) brought rock-and-roll legend status. A mid-century name with more edge than it gets credit for.