Jane

God is gracious

ORIGIN: Hebrew

POPULARITY: 582

For parents seeking a simple and spectacular name, look no further than Jane. Yeah, yeah, we’ve heard about plain Jane, Jane Doe and other Jane references that put it in a less-than-bright light. But what about novelist Jane Austen, anthropologist Jane Goodall and actress Jane Lynch—just a few real-life Janes who’ve achieved great success and made the name one of the most recognizable since the 16th century. Fluff-free and feisty, Jane, meaning “God is gracious,” is as classic as name can get.

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Royal Baby Names

Lady Jane Grey was queen of England for nine days, from July 10 to 19, 1553, as the successor to Edward VI. Born October 15, 1537, she faced strong opposition from Parliament, public outrage and religious conflict, and she was quickly dethroned. Her replacement, Mary Tudor, known as Bloody Mary, took pity on 17-year-old Jane and imprisoned her in the Tower of London. But ultimately, when Jane opposed Mary’s religious directives, she was executed.