Jana

♀ Girl

Pronounced YAH-nah /ˈjɑː.nə/Low

Meaning: God is graciousLow

In 30 seconds: Jana is the feminine form of John used in Czech, Slovak, German, Slovenian, and other Central European languages, carrying the Hebrew meaning of God is gracious. Simple and international, it is used across Europe and the Americas.

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Origin LowSlavic, Hebrew, German

MeaningGod is gracious

U.S. rank (2024)#1335 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births171 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1961

Total births (all-time)≈ 46,004

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

Jana is the feminine form of the name Jan (the Dutch, Czech, Scandinavian, and German form of John), from the Hebrew Yochanan meaning God is gracious. It has been used in Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Slovenia for many centuries.

In the United States, Jana is used across communities of Central European heritage and also broadly as a simple, clean feminine name. The pronunciation varies: YAH-nah in Central European contexts and JAY-nah in some American uses.

Did you know? Jana is one of the most popular feminine forms of John across Central Europe — while English uses Jane and Joan, Spanish uses Juana, and French uses Jeanne, Jana is the Slavic and German equivalent.

Overall data confidence 90%

Behind the Name: Jana

Variations

YanaJannaJaanaJohanna

Nicknames

JanJani

Famous Bearers

★Jana Novotna (1968–2017)
Czech tennis player, 1998 Wimbledon singles champion and multiple Grand Slam doubles winner
★Jana Kramer (1983–present)
American country singer and actress, known for One Tree Hill

If you like Jana…

Janna— Alternate spelling of same name

Yana— Slavic variant with same sound

Hana— Similar Slavic/Japanese two-syllable name

Lena— Two-syllable Slavic feminine name of similar simplicity

Explore names like Jana

By themehebrew two-syllable german slavic international grace

By meaningGod / Divine Grace

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does Jana mean?

Jana means God is gracious, as the Slavic and German feminine form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan.

How do you pronounce Jana?

In Central European languages Jana is pronounced YAH-nah. In American English it is sometimes pronounced JAY-nah.

Is Jana a Czech name?

Yes, Jana is widely used in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and other Central European countries as a common feminine form of John.

What names are similar to Jana?

Similar names include Janna, Yana, Hana, and Lena.