Janna

♀ Girl

Pronounced JAN-na /ˈdʒæn.næ/Low

Meaning: Feminine form of Jan, short form of Johanna, meaning 'God is gracious' (from Hebrew Yochanan).Low

In 30 seconds: Janna is a Dutch feminine form of Jan, itself a short form of Johanna, carrying the Hebrew sense 'God is gracious'.

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Origin LowDutch, Scandinavian, Arabic

MeaningFeminine form of Jan, short form of Johanna, meaning 'God is gracious' (from Hebrew Yochanan).

U.S. rank (2024)#2117 ↗ Rising

2024 U.S. births90 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1979

Total births (all-time)≈ 16,012

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

History & Origin

The name traces back through Johanna to the Hebrew Yochanan, the root behind John and its many feminine offshoots. In Dutch usage, Jan is the everyday form of that name, and Janna softens it into a short, feminine version. So while it looks compact and modern, its meaning is the old idea that God shows grace.

It has a quick, two-syllable sound that travels easily across languages without needing a nickname. The cosmologist Janna Levin, a physics professor at Barnard College and a science writer, is one well-known bearer.

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

Overall data confidence 55%

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

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Janna Levin (1967–present)
American theoretical cosmologist, professor of physics and astronomy at Barnard College, and popular-science author.

If you like Janna…

Johanna— The fuller name that Janna shortens, sharing the exact 'God is gracious' meaning

Jan— The Dutch form Janna is built directly from as its feminine

Hannah— Also rooted in the Hebrew idea of grace, with an overlapping sound

Jana— A near-identical Slavic and Dutch sister form from the same John family

Joanna— An English cousin of Johanna with the same Hebrew origin

Frequently Asked

What does the name Janna mean?

Janna is usually explained as meaning 'origin uncertain' and is most often linked with Uncertain tradition.

How do you pronounce Janna?

It's commonly said JAN-na /ˈdʒæn.næ/.

Is Janna a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Janna?

In 2024, Janna ranked #2117 in the U.S. for girls, with 90 births recorded.