Joanna

Where Joanna comes from

From Latin Joanna, 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. Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.
— Wiktionary's entry for Joanna
  • Latin
  • 3 syllables
  • Vowel-ended
Along the way
  1. 1880
    First SSA year
    Already #309 among girls — 26 babies in the first year on record.
  2. 1946
    Joanna Lumley born
    British actress and former model
  3. 1982
    Joanna Newsom born
    American musician
  4. 1984
    Peak, #88
    3,332 babies named Joanna — more than any year before or since.
  5. 1993
    The fade
    The first year with half the peak's births — down to #177.
In the dictionary
  • A female given name from Latin [in turn from Hebrew].
Namesakes
  • Joanna Lumley · British actress and former model, born 1946
  • Joanna Newsom · American musician, born 1982
  • Joanna Cassidy · American actress, born 1945
  • Joanna la Beltraneja · Castillian infanta and queen, queen consort of Portugal, 1462–1530
  • Joanna Russ · American author, 1937–2011

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.