Janice

Today I learned that “Janice” has only been around since about 1899. Very interesting!

This form of Jane seems to have been invented by the American novelist Paul Leicester Ford for the title character of his book _Janice Meredith_, first published in 1899. I suspect that he blended the names Janet and Alice to create it. The story is set in New Jersey during the time of the American Revolution, but I've never found a real example born before Ford's book was published. [noted -ed]