Janie Janine
I have always been quite aware of my name. In Ireland, Janine is still not a common name and when I was younger it was much rarer. While many complain of sharing their name with someone else in their class, there wasn’t another Janine in the whole school. This is a mixed blessing. I already stuck out enough at school without having an unusual name! 
Thanks to Janine in Ghostbusters, an influx of American sitcoms, Janeane Garofalo, and more recently the character Janine in Eastenders among others, most people here have at least heard of the name by now. Just don’t ask them to spell it. Since I don’t want to be completely patronising, whenever I have to give my name I don’t follow it by saying "that’s J.A.N.I.N.E". If I hear a name that I’m unsure of how to spell, I generally ask but maybe that’s just me. So, I get geneen, geneane, jineen etc. I give them top marks for effort 
Others just remember the J and address envelopes to Jane or Jasmine.
Better again are people’s attempts to pronounce Janine when they see it written down. I’ve lost count of the number of times teachers and doctors have called out Janie instead. Now the name Janie just makes me think of a rhyme we used to say at school which went something like "Janie Mac Mac Mac, my shirt is black black black". So I’d rather stick with Janine thanks
My heart also sinks every time I see one of those personalised gift stalls with the tacky key rings or mugs etc. The name Janine is never there. Now, if my name was there, even though I hoard junk, even I wouldn’t buy most of that tat. However, you always want what you can’t have, so I always check the rack, searching for my name, sad as that sounds!
Overall, I really like my name though, so I’m lucky. According to the Kabalarians, Janine suits me too since I’m a born worrier! It’s handy that I can usually register as just Janine if I wish, when a new Irish site launches. Since I’m a pretty informal person and tend to stay on first name terms a lot, the rarity of my name is very helpful. I can just say Janine and everyone always knows it’s me.
Of course, outside an Irish context, the name Janine is quite common, particularly in the US and the UK. On the internet, the name Janine often means one thing. Yes, it’s bad enough that characters called Janine are usually freaks or nasty, but it’s a popular name for porn stars too. Unfortunately janine.com is out of my reach since one of the leading ladies got there first. At least the search engines have done a lot of spring cleaning of late so that less notorious Janines show up first!
One reason for this rather self-indulgent post is that this Janine would like to show up there too But it would be interesting to know whether other people particularly like or dislike their names, or have even ever given them a second thought…
March 21st, 2005 at 10:54 am
Given that there were no fewer than seven Davids in my junior infants class, I think that a bit of balance is probably best!
Never have much trouble getting mugs or keyrings, though.
March 21st, 2005 at 9:16 pm
is that why you prefer the more exotic daithi these days?
can’t believe there were seven davids in the one class – there were at most 2 kids with the same name in my primary school classes of nearly 40. they would have the first letter of their surname added on to become barry o, barry mc etc but who knows what complex scheme your class needed!
March 22nd, 2005 at 4:23 pm
I have zero pity young lady……………
You should try growing up in London with a name like Caoimhe……pronounced (in the english language context) nothing like it looks!
March 22nd, 2005 at 9:28 pm
you win hands down caoimhe! but in fairness, at least londoners have an excuse though – it ain’t their language! i’d imagine you would have great fun in the states also? it’s not that i think i got a bad deal with my name – it just grates sometimes when people have such trouble with 6 letters in their language
March 23rd, 2005 at 10:07 am
Don’t forget the other famous Janine… Janine the groupie in This Is Spinal Tap.
I never had too much trouble with my own name, except when I lived in the US and used to get all this mail addressed to some girl called “Brenda”.
March 23rd, 2005 at 8:02 pm
thanks for that brendan …never saw the film or was aware of the music… that jeanine pettibone sounds quite a character though! http://spinaltapfan.com/atozed/TAP00392.HTM
thanks for the link to your own blog too – look forward to checking it out properly when i have time…
March 25th, 2005 at 2:31 pm
a customer in the shop was asking me all about my name last week, how it evolved etc. she wasn’t the first either.
April 1st, 2005 at 3:12 am
hahah COOL. My name’s Janine too. I always wanted a mug and keychain with my name on it. Its kinda weird how i came across this site actually, my friends and I decided to google our names and I was expecting to find some Janine Lindemulder haha!
July 7th, 2005 at 8:50 pm
Hi my name iz janine 2 people just say its made up until i started sayin janine out of eastenders and stuff but im really anoyed so i got the nickname neen which everyone calls me but teachers don’t. im 13 now but 14 in january xx bye
August 2nd, 2005 at 7:59 pm
hehe, my names janine too!
my dad named me that by listening to the song
janine by troopers. its a good song
but yeah theres never ever any keychains or anything with our name on it, it sucks!
August 17th, 2005 at 4:43 am
my name is janine too..
yes ever since i was young i always wanted stuff with my name on it and the closest thing i’d see would be JAN or JANICE or JANIE. i can relate. =)
August 26th, 2005 at 4:16 am
Hi Janine, I am Janine as well. My father named me, and I don’t know where he got the name from. However, this I do know: Janine is an exquisite name for us. Janine speaks of royalty/regality, just by the way it sounds. It is supposed to mean either God’s gracious gift or merciful and gracious. Be proud of your name. It is unique and many people aren’t named with it. WE ARE SPECIAL! Forget the crowd. SHOUT YOUR NAME OUT LOUD GIRLFRIEND! Even though I am nicknamed Jan, Janie and Lady Jane, I love to hear my true name: Janine.
Peace & Blessings,
Janine (your namesake)
September 12th, 2005 at 5:03 pm
Do you know what – I feel exactly the same, I either get called Janie or even Genie (in a bottle) but I must admit I really do love my name since my father actually wanted to call me Monastare (what!!!!!!!!). Anyway I must also admit I do exactly the same when it comes down to those awfully tacky keyring/hairbrush/mug stalls, but do I still look endlessly!! of course.
We are exceptional people with an exceptional name!!! I would rather be call Janine then be called tina or sandra or catherine!! wouldnt you?
September 23rd, 2005 at 1:06 pm
hi! iam janine 2…..like u….i dnt now wer did my parents get this name….but im happy with my name…..sometimes, my friends call me jan, nine, janice or even number 9…..but its ok for me, coz i hav my name…..but i want my friends call me JANINE…..im happy with my name now…..many of my friends asking me, wer did i get my name…..sometimes, my answer to them is “are u jelous???? joke….”…..only my parents and teachers call me to my exact name…..there was a tym that i went to visit my grandmother and grandfather, u know what, the forgot my name, the call me “ineng”, dnt know why…..i hate that name coz i look like a cat…..well, anyway, i gota go…..bye….
October 2nd, 2005 at 1:51 pm
hello fellow Janine’s out there i am too a Janine i get called all sorts a crap like Ja9, Janice, ECT !!!! my dad chose my name out of tha bitch in eastenders
nd i dnt like it !!!!! Janine is an american name which is cool !!
newayz catch ya later Janine xXxXxXxXXxXx
December 13th, 2005 at 8:45 pm
All the Janines of the world unite! I’m so sick of being called Janie. For God’s sake, can you not see the other “n” in my name? I gave up on looking for a keychain or a mug, because I figure if people can’t pronounce or spell it, it’s not going to be there. My father named me as well, which seems to be the trend based on the replies I’ve read on this site. My grandmother’s name was Jenni, so Dad wanted to impress her (finally…but to no avail) by naming me something comparable. Nicknames include J9 (really helps with the spelling part), NeeNee, Nini, Neenja, Neenjo, Neen, and just J.
April 27th, 2006 at 9:31 am
hellooo, my name is jannine as well of course, but its spelt jannine with three n’s and so when my mum calls me she shouts out jan– nine its embarasing. and i also look endelessly through the keyrings and mugs to look for my name even though i no there not gonas be there. and i get the nicknames such as genie, nene, jan, jj, jinea you name it oh and when the first genie chip came out that what i was called. and my dad named me jannine i think he saw it on a movie and so that what i was named. and the name jannine is not common in the uk either i no nobody called jannine and neither do my friends other than me of course. well peace be with you every one byee x x x
November 10th, 2006 at 5:38 am
Hi y’all! A Janine from Texas here. How great is it to find so many Janine’s after a lifetime of being the odd one? I’m 43, only a few weeks younger than Janine Turner of “Northern Exposure” fame, and in my whole life I’ve never actually MET another Janine who spelled her name the same way. There was a JEanine that worked in the same mall that I did…it got confusing beause we worked at rival bookstores and I’d get calls for her all the time.
I got the Janie, J-9, Janine Jelly Bean, comments, too. The Neen I didn’t mind because that nickname was given to me by my best friend’s little sister who couldn’t say Janine. She died of lung cancer a few years ago, so that nickname’s even more special to me now.
And it’s kind of ironic that after years of going by my middle name and fighting the mangled pronunciations, I started to go by my first name, Lisa…and now look at all the Janines coming out of the woodwork! I have a split personality now, Lisa at work and Janine at home.
Anyway, thanks for sharing your name, Janine…Viva la Janine!
March 18th, 2007 at 6:34 pm
HELLO FELLOW JANINES!! its so nice to be with other people who share our unusual name. I’m 14 and live in Cornwall and my Dad named me apparently after a Junior Doctor he once worked with. Well I have amazing news for all of you I HAVE FOUND A JANINE BADGE!!!! I got it when I was about 5 and its a green dolphin but I’ve never found another since. I usually get mixed up with my sister Jasmine due to the name simularities so overall I practically never got the correct name BUT OH WELL i enjoy being different and would never change my name. My second name maybe which I’m not even going to say so BYE
xx
March 29th, 2007 at 12:39 am
Hi, my name is Rashida (which I HATE!) and I am in the process of changing my name to Janine. I was adopted and my foster mother named me Janine and then my mother, who adopted me, changed it to Rashida. I am soooooo happy to be changing my name next month that I can’t stand it. For you Janine’s that think your name is so bad, imagine the first 4 letters of your name spelling RASH!!!!!! I’ll be proud to join the Janine club at the end of April!!!
May 10th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
Hi my name is…………………………….. you guessed it !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love my name , the meaning I got from it is GIFT FROM GOD. and yes we are gifts
January 4th, 2008 at 1:01 am
hi, my name is JEANINE but its spelled different and i have also come across people that found my name unique and in some cases unusual. Most of my close friends and family members call me Jeannie, ..I just figured I would write something since I’m surprised that this name is so unusual to a lot of people. However, I see that there are a lot more other people with my name out there lol..well take care ladies <3
January 11th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
lol… thats too funny yeah peopel always say jean to me… cause i say my name too fast and they… always think im sayin jean… but i i always get janie … or jamie… but i do love my name…. at the bar i use to work at in college.. they nicknamed me j9…. my family call me nina…
February 19th, 2008 at 3:53 am
wow! i did not know anyone else had my name how crazy!!!
December 23rd, 2009 at 10:11 am
Reading all of these responses just cracked me up. I’m writing from the San Francisco Bay Area. I can relate to all of it—people have called me Janie, Janice, Jeannie, Janet—and just about anything that starts with a J! I too look at the section with all of the name mugs etc. Never found my name either! One time, at a state fair, someone was making key chains made to order. Of course, he made one for me with ‘Janine.’ I was so proud of it! Growing up, I hardly ever heard my name. First grade there was a Janine. The teacher tried to keep from mixing us up. My last name started with a B and hers with a V, and she tried to say Janine B or Janine V and it didn’t work very well! Also a Janeen in high school. But I don’t know many others. I’m glad my name is unusual. My mom named me from a babysitter when we were little and she really liked the name. My nicknames are NeNe, Neaner, Nean mostly. But friends have called me Jelly Beans, Jeaner, Geech, J and of course J9. I used to work in a furniture store during college—one of the salesmen that I worked with used to sing the old song ‘Janine, I dream of lilac time…’ to me all the time. One last thing—when I was about 5 yrs old I asked my mom if I would always be named Janine. She laughed and said yes, of course, why do you ask? I said that Janine was not a mommy’s name. A mommy’s name is Betty or Mary…We always laugh about that! Fun reading all of your responses. All the best to all of the Janine’s out there!
February 1st, 2010 at 6:13 pm
Great to see so many Janines out there
My parents also decided to name me Elvine. Imagine: Janine Elvine. What were they thinking? And then with an even more unusual surname when i married, i am now the only one in the world 
even without the middle name! My parents pronunciation is different to how most people here (UK) pronounce it and this is where everyone gets unstuck. We say Jan and een together, instead of the Je and neen, which run together, almost as one word. How many of you have the same pronunciation as me? I love my name as i’m usually the only janine.
February 1st, 2010 at 8:39 pm
Always nice to hear from another Janine. Had never heard of the name Elvine, and I’m glad you’re happy with your unusual names. At least we don’t get muddled up too often. My boyfriend has quite a common name and he has got emails meant for other people etc occasionally.
It’s your name, so you can say it however you like. I say mine like ‘jeneen’ I suppose, but I had a couple of teachers at school who emphasised the jan part alright to get ‘jan ian’ which sounded fancier