Janice is a female given name of Latin origin, meaning "gift from God." It was coined by the English author John Galsworthy in his Forsyte Saga series, where it was used for one of the main characters. The name Janice became popular in the mid-20th century and has since been widely used around the world. It is often associated with its variant spellings, including Janet, Jane, and Jean. Despite its Latin origin, Janice is considered a predominantly English name, as it gained prominence through British literature. In some cultures, Janice may also be seen as a unisex name due to its similarity to other names like Jason or Janet that are used for both boys and girls. However, in most cases, Janice remains a popular choice for girls' names, reflecting the timeless appeal of its original meaning, "gift from God.
"The name Janice experienced a notable peak in popularity between the late 1930s and early 1940s, with over 30 births per year from 1936 to 1942, reaching its highest point at 47 births in 1940. However, this trend significantly declined afterwards, with fewer than 20 births annually after 1958 and only sporadic occurrences from the late 1960s onwards."