Given name & surname
Juana
“God is gracious”
Juana is a feminine form of Juan. In Spanish use, Juan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Original Spanishฆัวนา
Meaning & origin
What it means
In Spanish use, Juana carries the interpretation “God is gracious.” Juana is a feminine form of Juan. In Spanish use, Juan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is Spanish.
How it developed
In Spanish use, Juana is used as a feminine counterpart of Juan.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Spanish use, Juana shares an earlier linguistic root with Jane. The history of Jane gives this family its wider story. Lady Jane Grey is one of the name’s historical bearers. In fiction, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre gave it a lasting nineteenth-century association; the novel appeared in 1847.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Juana through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 18,881
- 88 boys · 18,793 girls
- Most popular year
- 1994
- 265 babies
- 2025
- 185
- #1,223 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +47%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 185 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 1,223 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 47.2% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 265 in 1994. In 2025, Florida had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (27). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 88,951 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.
Juana’s family of names
In Spanish usage, Juana has a diminutive in Juanita. Juana is a feminine form of Juan. In Spanish usage, Juana has a conventional equivalent in the English form Jane.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Juana has relatives in 12 languages. Lines run from its Spanish roots to each of them.
Nicknames & forms 15
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 35
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Juanmasculine form · Spanish
- Janedoublet · English
- Ivannaequivalent
- Joandoublet · English
- Shanedoublet · English
- Shawndoublet · English
- GiovannaItalian
- Jeandoublet · English
Show 27 moreShow fewer
- Ivanadoublet · English
- Janadoublet · English
- Ivankaequivalent
- Siobhandoublet · English
- Shaundoublet · English
- Yanaequivalent
- Joanaborrowing · Basque
- Janicedoublet · English
- Joannedoublet · English
- Johannesroot · Latin
- Junaequivalent
- Siandoublet · English
- Jeannedoublet · French, English
- Xianaequivalent
- Sheenadoublet · English
- Jonnaequivalent
- Shaunadoublet · English
- Janisdoublet · English
- Shawnadoublet · English
- XoanaGalician
- IoanaRomanian
- Johanneequivalent
- Jonederivative · Basque
- Shavonnedoublet · English
- Jendoublet · English
- Siânequivalent
- SiobhánIrish
People named Juana
- Juana Inés de la CruzMexican writer, philosopher, playwright and poet1651–1695
- Joanna of CastileQueen of Castile from 1504 and of Aragon from 15161479–1555
- Juana de IbarbourouUruguayan writer (1892–1979)
- Joanna of Austria, Princess of PortugalSpanish infanta, Austrian archduchess, Portuguese princess1535–1573
- Juana EnríquezAragonese queen1425–1468
- Joan of PortugalPortuguese infanta1439–1475
- Mirtha LegrandArgentine actress and television presenterborn 1927
- Juana Azurduy de Padillaargentine/bolivian military leader1780–1862
- Joanna of Aragon, Queen of NaplesQueen consort of Naples (1454-1517)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Juana, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Bianca
“a shining, fair-skinned woman”
>99% girls
Mireya
“one who is worthy of admiration”
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Janelle
“God is gracious”
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Juliet
“one who is youthful; daughter of the sky”
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Gianna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls
Neneca
“one who is industrious and hardworking”
>99% girls
Justina
“one who is just and upright”
>99% girls
Sophie
“having great wisdom and foresight”
>99% girls