Jane Origin and Meaning A very old name, Jane has been around since Tudor times, in this country moving in and out of fashion. Jane was once so common that it became generic—as in Jane Doe and G.I. Jane—then spent a considerable time as the back end of such smooshes as Maryjane, Bettyjane, and Sarajane.

Is the name Jane in the Bible?

Jane is a name that originated in Hebrew and it means: “Yahweh is gracious, Yahweh is merciful.” Yahweh is a Hebrew form of the name of God in the bible. While there isn’t a figure named Jane from the bible, Jane is a version of the names Joanna and several figures named Joanna exist in the bible.

What is Jane short for?

It is the English form of the Old French name Jehanne, which was an old feminine form of the male name Johannes or Ioannes (also the source of the English name John), a Latin form of the Greek name Ἰωάννης (Iōannēs), which is derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan), a short form of the name יְהוֹחָנָן ( …