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Jan Brady (nee Jan Martin, later Jan Brady-Covington), portrayed by Eve Plumb in the TV series, Geri Reischl in The Brady Bunch Hour, Jennifer Elise Cox in theatrical films, and Ashley Drane in the TV movie, is the middle Brady daughter. Storylines which involve Jan often feature her jealousy of her seemingly more popular older sister Marcia, or her awkward position as the middle child. In addition, Jan is insecure about having freckles and wearing glasses, embarrassed about the fact she does not have a boyfriend (she invents a fictional boyfriend named "George Glass" in an effort to save her reputation), and concerned about her future appearance. A typical plot line surrounding Jan would feature her attempting to carve out her niche in the family, or make a name for herself at school. Once, in exasperation at her supposed inferiority to Marcia, she uttered the now famous catch phrase, "Marcia, Marcia, Marcia" which was later parodied in the Brady Bunch movie and in a recurring Saturday Night Live sketch.
As a young teen, Jan had a striking resemblance to her Great-Aunt Jenny (played by Imogene Coca) in her younger days. Jan is also occasionally absent-minded, once losing the tube containing her father's architectural plans while visiting Kings Island amusement park in Cincinnati. In her later high school years, Jan found she had a talent for painting (as does Eve Plumb), which likely led to her career choice as an architect, following in her father's footsteps (as shown in later reunion films).
In The Brady Girls Get Married Jan marries Phillip Covington. The two met in college (he was her professor). The Covingtons briefly separate in A Very Brady Christmas, but reconcile. However, they are unable to conceive their own children and in The Bradys adopt a Korean girl named Patty.