Explore the Family Name Janus
The meaning of Janus
1. Polish (also Januś); Czech and Slovak (also Januš): from the personal name Janus, Januś, Januš, derivatives of Jan, Slovak Ján. 2. Slovenian (Januš): from a variant of the personal name Janez (see John), derived from the Hungarian equivalent János (see Janos). 3. German and Dutch: from a vernacular form of the personal name Johannes or from a Latinized form of Jan. 4. German: from the Slavic personal name Janus or Januš (see 1 above). Some characteristic forenames: Polish Alicja, Dorota, Elzbieta, Irek, Irena, Janina, Jaromir, Jozef, Ryszard, Slawomir, Wladyslaw, Zdzislaw. German Manfred, Alois, Erna, Ernst, Frieda, Lutz, Otto.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Janus in the United States?
According to the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Janus has seen a slight decrease in popularity over the decade from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, it held a rank of 13,220, but by 2010, its rank had slipped to 13,903, marking a decline of 5.17%. Despite this drop in rank, the total count of individuals with the Janus surname actually increased during this period, from 2,118 to 2,172, signaling a growth of 2.55%. However, when considering the proportion per 100,000 residents, there was a small dip of 6.33%, from 0.79 in 2000 to 0.74 in 2010.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #13,220 | #13,903 | -5.17% |
| Count | 2,118 | 2,172 | 2.55% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.79 | 0.74 | -6.33% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Janus
The Decennial U.S. Census also provides insight into the ethnic identity associated with the surname Janus. There was substantial diversity in the changes observed between 2000 and 2010. The percentage of individuals identifying as Asian/Pacific Islander grew significantly by 78.75%, albeit from a small base of 0.80% to 1.43%. Those reporting two or more ethnicities also saw an increase of 23.58%. Meanwhile, the predominant ethnicity of White saw a minor decrease of 2.68%, reducing from 94.62% to 92.08%. The Hispanic representation increased by 45.11%, while Black representation also rose considerably by 110%, though starting from a low baseline of 0.90% to 1.89%. Conversely, those identifying as American Indian and Alaskan Native declined by 32.79%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 94.62% | 92.08% | -2.68% |
| Hispanic | 1.84% | 2.67% | 45.11% |
| Black | 0.9% | 1.89% | 110% |
| Two or More Races | 1.23% | 1.52% | 23.58% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 0.8% | 1.43% | 78.75% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.61% | 0.41% | -32.79% |