Given name
Joana
Joana is a feminine given name from Latin, ultimately from Hebrew. It is used in Portuguese, Albanian, Basque, Catalan, and 1 other language.
Meaning & origin
Where it comes from
In Portuguese use, Joana has a related form in Joanna. An origin associated with Joanna is Greek.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Portuguese usage, Joana developed from Ἰωάννα.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1896. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Portuguese use, Joana has a related form in Joanna. The history of Joanna gives this family its wider story. Joanna was in use during the Middle Ages.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Joana through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 7,944
- 0 boys · 7,944 girls
- Most popular year
- 2001
- 357 babies
- 2025
- 67
- #2,596 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −18%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 67 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,596 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 18.5% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 357 in 2001. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (13). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 10,711 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Joana’s family of names
In Portuguese usage, Joana has a diminutive in Jô. In Portuguese usage, Joana shares an earlier linguistic root with Ivana. In Portuguese usage, Joana has a conventional equivalent in the French form Jeanne.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Joana has relatives in 10 languages.
12 related names in 10 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 20
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 2
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Joana
- Juana ManuelQueen of Castile and Leon1339–1381
- Joana VasconcelosPortuguese artist (born 1971)
- Joan of NavarreRegent, also heir presumptive to the throne of Navarre (1402–1413)1382–1413
- Joana RibeiroPortuguese actress and modelborn 1992
- Joana HeidrichSwiss beach volleyball playerborn 1991
- Joana RamosPortuguese judokaborn 1982
- Joana HählenSwiss alpine skierborn 1992
- Joana PreissFrench actressborn 1972
- Joana MadukaNigerian engineerborn 1941
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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