Janne is a common given name in the Nordic countries and Estonia. In Denmark, Norway and Estonia it is considered a feminine name (a short form of Johanne), while in Sweden and Finland it is considered masculine. In Sweden and Finland it is often used as a nickname for people with related (male) names based on Johannes such as Jan, Jean or Johan.
The name's origins lie in the ancient Hebrew names Yohanah/Yohanan (feminine/masculine), meaning "Yahweh (God) is gracious". The name spread to Greece along with Christianity, and became Ioanna/Ioannes. In the original, Greek version of the Bible both John the Baptist and John the Apostle are referred to as "Ioannes", and the feminine version of the name appears in "Ioanna, the wife of Chuza". The names then, through Latin Vulgate, became Joanna/Johanna/Johanne (feminine), and Johannes (masculine).
As the names spread through Europe along with Christianity, a number of simplified derivatives appeared, resulting in the large family of names to which Janne belongs: Johanna, John, Jan, Joan, Jahn, Johan, Juan, Jane, Jean (male) and Jean (female), Jeanne, Jonas, Janusz, Hannes, Hans and so forth.
Notable people with the name include:
Janne Aikala (1975–1986), murder victim in Turku, Finland
Janne Blomqvist (born 1972), Finnish swimmer Janne Carlsson (1937–2017), Swedish actor , better known as JB Janne Corax (born 1967), Swedish cyclist, mountaineer and explorer Janne Dahl (1882–1961), Swedish javelin thrower Janne Stigen Drangsholt (born 1974), Norwegian writer Janne Sophie Engeleiter (born 1995), German Paralympic athlete
Janne Formoe (born 1975), Norwegian actress Janne Furch (1915–1992), German screenwriter Janne Grönvall (born 1973), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Gustafsson (1883–1942), Swedish sport shooter
Janne Häkkinen (born 1984), Finnish orienteer Janne Halmkrona (born 1968), Finnish musician Janne Hänninen (born 1975), Finnish speed skater Janne Hannula (born 1982), Finnish footballer Janne Happonen (born 1984), Finnish ski jumper Janne Heikkinen (politician) (born 1990), Finnish politician
Janne Ijäs (born 1972), Finnish ice hockey centre Janne Immonen (born 1968), Finnish cross-country skier
Janne Jalasvaara (born 1984), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Johannessen (born 1978), Norwegian journalist and newspaper editor Janne Bondi Johannessen (1960–2020), Norwegian linguist Janne Johansson, Swedish football chairman Janne Jokila (born 1982), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Josefsson (born 1957), Swedish investigative journalist Janne Juvonen (born 1994), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Kanerva (born 1970), Finnish weightlifter Janne Karlsson (ice hockey, born 1958), Swedish ice hockey player and coach Janne Karlsson (ice hockey, born 1964), Swedish ice hockey player and coach
Janne Katosalmi (born 1994), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Keränen (born 1987), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Kettunen (born 1994), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Koivuranta (1885–1967), Finnish farmer and politician Janne Kolehmainen (born 1986), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Kolling (born 1968), Danish handball player Janne Koponen (born 1995), Finnish ice hockey defenceman Janne Korhonen (footballer) (born 1979), Finnish footballer Janne Korhonen (taekwondo) (1970–2023), Finnish taekwondo practitioner Janne Korpi (born 1986), Finland snowboarder Janne Kristiansen (born 1952), Norwegian jurist Janne Kumpulainen (born 1991), Finnish ice hockey left winger Janne Kuokkanen (born 1998), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Kuusi (born 1954), Finnish film director and writer Janne Kyttanen (born 1974), Finnish conceptual artist and designer Janne Laakkonen (born 1982), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Lahtela (born 1974), Finnish freestyle skier Janne Lahti (born 1982), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Läspä (born 2002), Finnish javelin thrower Janne Laukkanen (born 1970), Finnish ice hockey player
Janne Lundblad (1887–1940), Swedish equestrian
Janne Mark (born 1973), Danish vocalist and composer Janne Martikainen (1878–1934), Finnish politician
Janne Mertanen (born 1967), Finnish pianist
Janne Mortil (born 1967), Canadian-American actress Janne Mugame (born 1982), Estonian para swimmer
Janne Myrdal (born 1962), Member of the North Dakota Senate
Janne Nijman (born 1972), International lawyer
Janne Öfverström (born 1991), Finnish ice hockey player
Janne Ojala (born 1977), Finnish tennis player
Janne Parviainen (born 1973), Finnish heavy metal drummer
Janne Johannes Puurtinen, birthname of
Janne Salmi (born 1969), Finnish orienteer Janne Sankelo (born 1967), Finnish politician Janne Schäfer (born 1981), German swimmer Janne Schaffer (born 1945), Musical artist Janne Seppänen (born 1995), Finnish ice hockey player Janne Seurujärvi (born 1975), Finnish politician Janne Sirén (born 1970), Finnish art historian Janne M. Sjödahl (1853–1939), Swedish convert to LDS
Janne Svensson (born 1956), Swedish footballer
References