Janaya is a modern American name that extends Jana or Janae, both feminine forms of John, with the melodic -aya ending of Amaya and Kenya, so it inherits John's meaning "God is gracious". It has been used mainly in African American families since the 1980s. In the United States Janaya ranked number 1415 in 2000, peaked at number 1169 in 2002 and has slowly declined since, standing at number 2628 in 2025 with 66 girls.