Home › Baby Names Directory › Giannis

Giannis

♂ Boy

Pronounced YAH-nis /ˈjɑ.nis/Medium

Meaning: The modern Greek form of John, from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious'.Medium

In 30 seconds: Giannis is the modern Greek form of John, going back through Greek to Hebrew 'Yochanan', 'God is gracious'.

💕 Browse more names

Origin MediumGreek

MeaningThe modern Greek form of John, from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious'.

U.S. rank (2025)#1692 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births97 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2022

Total births (all-time)≈ 1,044

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Giannis is how John sounds in modern Greek, descending from the older Ioannis and ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan', meaning 'God is gracious'. That promise of grace has carried the name across centuries and languages. The Greek form keeps a warm, rolling pronunciation.

Basketball star Giannis Antetokounmpo, an NBA champion and MVP, has made the spelling widely recognized. It sits alongside variants like Ioannis, Yannis, Yiannis, and Jannis.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Giannis is 'origin uncertain', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.

Overall data confidence 78%

Behind the Name - Giannis — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

IoannisYannisYiannisGianisJannis

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

★Giannis Antetokounmpo (born 1994)
Greek professional basketball player and NBA champion and MVP with the Milwaukee Bucks.

If you like Giannis…

Yanis— a similarly popular pick

Genesis— echoes that soft -is sound

Dennis— echoes that soft -is sound

Aris— a similarly popular pick

Artemis— shares the -is ending

Explore names like Giannis

By themegreek

By meaningGod / Divine Grace

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Giannis mean?

Giannis is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with Greek tradition.

How do you pronounce Giannis?

It's commonly said YAH-nis /ˈjɑ.nis/.

Is Giannis a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Giannis is used as a boy name.

How popular is Giannis?

In 2024, Giannis ranked #1482 in the U.S. for boys, with 122 births recorded.