Jane Fonda's Real Name: Jane Seymour Fonda

Quick answer: Jane Fonda's real name is Jane Seymour Fonda (some reference works also style it Lady Jayne Seymour Fonda). She was born on December 21, 1937, in New York City.

Real name and early life

Britannica and the Library of Congress identify Jane Fonda, born December 21, 1937, in New York City; fuller forms in biographical sources give Jane (or Jayne) Seymour Fonda. She is the daughter of actor Henry Fonda and socialite Frances Seymour Brokaw. The Seymour middle name honors her mother's family. She grew up partly in California and New York, studied acting including at the Actors Studio, and entered film in the 1960s. Fonda is her legal family surname; Jane is the familiar form of the given name used throughout her career.

Quick facts

• Real name: Jane Seymour Fonda
• Known as: Jane Fonda
• Born: December 21, 1937, in New York City, New York
• Known for: Actor, activist, fitness entrepreneur
• Notable work: Klute, Coming Home, On Golden Pond, Grace and Frankie
• Sources checked: Britannica, Library of Congress Name Authority

Career highlights

Fonda won Academy Awards for best actress for Klute (1971) and Coming Home (1978) and received further nominations including for On Golden Pond (1981), acting opposite her father. She was a major box-office star in the 1970s–80s, later a bestselling fitness-video entrepreneur, and returned to series television with Netflix's Grace and Frankie. She has been a prominent political activist for decades. Billing has remained Jane Fonda across film, television, and publishing.

Name notes

Some encyclopedias list "Lady Jayne Seymour Fonda" as an original or styled full form; others use Jane Seymour Fonda. Both point to the same person—daughter of Henry Fonda—born December 21, 1937. Prefer Britannica and LOC over unofficial baby-name blogs. She did not adopt a separate stage surname.

Later-career television and activism keep her in the news, but encyclopedias still open with the same birth identity: Jane Seymour Fonda, born December 21, 1937, in New York City.