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Home β€Ί Baby Names Directory β€Ί Joana

Joana

♀ Girl

Pronounced zhoo-UH-n /Κ’u.ˈɐ.nɐ/Medium

Meaning: Yahweh is graciousMedium

In 30 seconds: Joana is the Portuguese and Catalan form of a Hebrew name meaning 'Yahweh is gracious'.
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Origin MediumHebrew (via Portuguese/Catalan)
MeaningYahweh is gracious
U.S. rank (2025)#2596 β†˜ Falling
2025 U.S. births67 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2001
Total births (all-time)β‰ˆ 7,944

Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data

peak 200118962025

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

Joana carries the Hebrew sense 'Yahweh is gracious' and is the form the name takes in Portuguese and Catalan. It is the feminine counterpart to John, reshaped in Iberian usage with its soft two-syllable ending.

The name has spun off elaborated forms like Geovana and Giovana in Brazilian use, while the unrelated-looking Shavon reflects how far the Joan family scatters in English respellings.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Joana is ' Yahweh is gracious', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Joana β€” etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration β€” 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

GeovanaGiovanaShavonShavonneJone

Nicknames

β€”

Famous Bearers

  • β˜…Joana Vasconcelos (1971-)
    Portuguese contemporary artist known for large-scale sculptures
  • β˜…Joana Zimmer (1982-)
    German pop singer

If you like Joana…

Joannaβ€” the same Hebrew name 'Yahweh is gracious' in English form
Joanneβ€” shares the meaning 'God is gracious' through the same root
Santanaβ€” a similarly popular pick
Divinaβ€” shares the -na ending
Johanaβ€” a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Joana

By themeportuguesecatalan
By meaningGod / DivineGrace

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Joana mean?

Joana is usually explained as meaning ' Yahweh is gracious' and is most often linked with Portuguese tradition.

How do you pronounce Joana?

It's commonly said zhoo-UH-n /Κ’u.ˈɐ.nɐ/.

Is Joana a boy or girl name?

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

How popular is Joana?

In 2024, Joana ranked #2582 in the U.S. for girls, with 68 births recorded.

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