Jana

Where Jana comes from

From Czech Jana, ultimately from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān) which produced John and its many doublets. As a placeholder name, cf. similar use of John and Jack and earlier use of Joan in the same role. Doublet of Ivana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.
— Wiktionary's entry for Jana
  • Czech
  • Vowel-ended
Along the way
  1. 1921
    First appearance
    #5,099 among girls, 5 babies — the first year at least five got the name.
  2. 1961
    Peak, #226
    1,456 babies named Jana — more than any year before or since.
  3. 1968
    Jana Novotná born
    Czech tennis player
  4. 1985
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births — down to #338.
  5. 1993
    Jana Burčeska born
    Macedonian singer
In the dictionary
  • A female given name from Czech.
Namesakes
  • Jana Novotná · Czech tennis player, 1968–2017
  • Jana Burčeska · Macedonian singer, born 1993
  • Jana Cova · Czech pornographic actress, born 1980
  • Jana Fett · Croatian female tennis player, born 1996
  • Jana Pittman · Australian hurdler and bobsledder, born 1982

Sources: the origin note and dictionary entry are quoted from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0); the namesakes come from Wikidata (CC0); the milestones are worked out from the SSA record.