Joanna Girl

Popularity: #288 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: jo-AN-uh //dʒoʊˈænə//

Origin: Hebrew; Latin; Greek

Meaning: Hebrew: God is gracious; Latin: feminine form of John

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Joanna has its roots in the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan), which means "God is gracious." This name was adapted into Greek as Ἰωάννης (Ioannes) and subsequently into Latin as Ioanna, which is the feminine form of the male name Johannes. The transition into English occurred through Old French, where the name was rendered as Johanne or Johanna, before finally becoming Joanna in Middle English.

The evolution of the name reflects a common practice in the adaptation of biblical names across languages and cultures, particularly during the spread of Christianity in Europe. Historically, Joanna appears in the New Testament of the Christian Bible, specifically in the Gospel of Luke, where she is mentioned as one of the women who supported Jesus and was present at his crucifixion and resurrection.

This association with significant biblical events has contributed to the name's enduring presence in Christian contexts. Additionally, various saints named Joanna have been recognized throughout the centuries, further solidifying the name's religious significance.

The name has been used in various forms across different cultures, including the Italian Gianna and the Spanish Juana, each carrying similar meanings and connotations. Culturally, Joanna has been associated with grace and favor, reflecting its etymological roots.

The name has appeared in literature and art, often symbolizing virtue and piety. Notably, the name has been borne by several historical figures, including Joanna of Castile, a queen in the late 15th and early 16th centuries, whose life story has been the subject of various artistic interpretations.

The name's resilience through centuries of linguistic and cultural shifts underscores its significance in both religious and secular contexts.

Famous people named Joanna

In this section, you will find notable people named Joanna. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Joanna who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Joanna who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Joanna Lumley is an actress and activist best known for Absolutely Fabulous, The New Avengers, and her travel documentaries.

Joanna Gaines is a television personality and designer best known for Fixer Upper, Magnolia Network, and her home decor line.

Joanna Krupa is a model and television personality best known for Dancing with the Stars, The Real Housewives of Miami, and her work with PETA.

Joanna Newsom is a musician and songwriter best known for Ys, Have One on Me, and her unique harp playing style.

Joanna Cassidy is an actress best known for Blade Runner, Six Feet Under, and The Accidental Tourist.

Joanna Page is an actress best known for Gavin & Stacey, Love Actually, and her work in television and film.

Fictional characters named Joanna

The following list of fictional characters named Joanna is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Joanna is a fictional character from the film The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1. She is a former victor of the Hunger Games who becomes a key ally to Katniss Everdeen in the rebellion against the Capitol.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Joanna, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JessicaJuliaJasmineJocelynJoyJade

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Joanna. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

HannahAnnaMiriamSarahElianaRebeccaSamanthaLydia

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Joanna was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Joanna has ranked as high as #176 nationally, which occurred in 1984, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Illinois, and Pennsylvania.

In the past 5 years the name Joanna has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Joanna is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Joanna was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Joanna.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 997 0 997
2024 945 0 945
2023 918 0 918
2022 1,002 0 1,002
2021 1,101 0 1,101
2020 1,176 0 1,176
2019 1,281 0 1,281
2018 1,454 0 1,454
2017 1,352 0 1,352
2016 1,274 0 1,274
2015 1,065 0 1,065
2014 1,027 5 1,022
2013 945 0 945
2012 974 0 974
2011 976 0 976
2010 1,066 0 1,066
2009 1,111 5 1,106
2008 1,194 0 1,194
2007 1,392 0 1,392
2006 1,289 0 1,289
2005 1,167 0 1,167
2004 1,288 8 1,280
2003 1,309 6 1,303
2002 1,335 0 1,335
2001 1,560 5 1,555
2000 1,349 0 1,349
1999 1,334 7 1,327
1998 1,281 0 1,281
1997 1,409 0 1,409
1996 1,405 0 1,405
1995 1,605 8 1,597
1994 1,631 7 1,624
1993 1,649 11 1,638
1992 1,839 14 1,825
1991 1,962 11 1,951
1990 2,241 11 2,230
1989 2,132 16 2,116
1988 2,221 15 2,206
1987 2,076 20 2,056
1986 2,247 20 2,227
1985 2,795 23 2,772
1984 3,353 21 3,332
1983 2,127 7 2,120
1982 1,848 14 1,834
1981 1,838 10 1,828
1980 1,733 8 1,725
1979 1,398 10 1,388
1978 1,356 7 1,349
1977 1,565 0 1,565
1976 1,725 7 1,718
1975 1,705 6 1,699
1974 1,779 7 1,772
1973 1,664 0 1,664
1972 1,423 0 1,423
1971 1,372 0 1,372
1970 1,336 5 1,331
1969 1,222 5 1,217
1968 1,036 0 1,036
1967 866 7 859
1966 890 0 890
1965 910 0 910
1964 877 0 877
1963 888 0 888
1962 834 0 834
1961 865 0 865
1960 820 0 820
1959 755 0 755
1958 665 0 665
1957 582 0 582
1956 482 0 482
1955 455 0 455
1954 471 0 471
1953 411 0 411
1952 407 0 407
1951 445 0 445
1950 478 0 478
1949 463 0 463
1948 515 0 515
1947 509 0 509
1946 498 0 498
1945 426 0 426
1944 453 0 453
1943 514 0 514
1942 502 0 502
1941 417 0 417
1940 412 0 412
1939 390 0 390
1938 427 0 427
1937 438 0 438
1936 361 0 361
1935 424 0 424
1934 480 0 480
1933 367 0 367
1932 337 0 337
1931 331 0 331
1930 359 0 359
1929 273 0 273
1928 285 0 285
1927 239 0 239
1926 281 0 281
1925 236 0 236
1924 208 0 208
1923 199 0 199
1922 185 0 185
1921 160 0 160
1920 167 0 167
1919 165 0 165
1918 180 0 180
1917 170 0 170
1916 168 0 168
1915 147 0 147
1914 81 0 81
1913 94 0 94
1912 73 0 73
1911 59 0 59
1910 49 0 49
1909 48 0 48
1908 54 0 54
1907 32 0 32
1906 40 0 40
1905 41 0 41
1904 37 0 37
1903 45 0 45
1902 26 0 26
1901 31 0 31
1900 37 0 37
1899 40 0 40
1898 42 0 42
1897 50 0 50
1896 37 0 37
1895 29 0 29
1894 44 0 44
1893 36 0 36
1892 42 0 42
1891 36 0 36
1890 33 0 33
1889 27 0 27
1888 37 0 37
1887 32 0 32
1886 35 0 35
1885 40 0 40
1884 24 0 24
1883 33 0 33
1882 15 0 15
1881 21 0 21
1880 26 0 26

Top States for Joanna (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 93
10%
TX 80
9%
OH 50
5%
VA 47
5%
NC 46
5%
PA 44
5%
FL 39
4%
NY 37
4%
IN 35
4%
MI 32
3%
GA 32
3%
WA 31
3%
SC 27
3%
TN 22
2%
MD 22
2%
IL 21
2%
KY 20
2%
AZ 20
2%
CO 18
2%
IA 15
2%
MN 15
2%
KS 14
2%
NJ 14
2%
MO 14
2%
WI 14
2%
AR 13
1%
NE 12
1%
LA 12
1%
MA 12
1%
AL 11
1%
OK 10
1%
OR 10
1%
MS 8
1%
WV 7
1%
UT 7
1%
WY 5
1%
CT 5
1%
ID 5
1%