Janis

Janis as a feminine English name is a mid-twentieth-century elaboration of Jane, itself the English feminine form of the Latin Iohannes, ultimately from the Hebrew Yohanan meaning God is gracious. The name gained wide cultural visibility through American rock singer Janis Joplin, which helped cement its association with a bold, independent spirit. The masculine Latvian form Jānis derives by the same Latin-Hebrew lineage and is the standard Latvian equivalent of John, functioning as one of the most common male names in Latvia and celebrated on Jāņi, the traditional Latvian midsummer festival. Related forms include Jane, Jean, Joan, Jan, and Giovanni.