Given name & surname
Yann
“God is gracious”
In German use, Yann is a variant of Jan. In Slavic use, Jan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In German use, Yann is a variant of Jan. In Slavic use, Jan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In Breton use, Yann shares an earlier linguistic root with John. John comes from Hebrew Johanan through the Greek Iōannēs and Latin Johannes. John’s many language forms include Jean, Giovanni, Juan, Johann and Ivan.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Breton usage, Yann developed from IOANNES. In Breton use, Yann shares an earlier linguistic root with John. The shared background comes through John: Greek Iōannēs represents a contracted form of Johanan; Latin used Johannes, and English developed John. The different language forms preserve the name family without all sharing the same spelling or pronunciation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1984. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Breton use, Yann shares an earlier linguistic root with John. The history of John gives this family its wider story. John the Baptist is associated with baptism in the River Jordan, while John the Apostle is the fisherman and brother of James. Later saints, popes and rulers extended the name’s reach. Christian tradition also identifies the apostle with John the Evangelist, although that identification is debated.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Yann through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 346
- 346 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2006
- 20 babies
- 2025
- 11
- #7,659 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −15%
- Easing
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 11 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 7,659 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 15.3% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 20 in 2006. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 881 as a first name in 2020; 545 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Yann’s family of names
In French usage, Yann has a diminutive in Yannick. Yann shares a linguistic root with John. In Breton usage, Yann has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Juan.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Yann has relatives in 9 languages.
11 related names in 9 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 7
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 62
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Jackequivalent
- Johncognate · English
- Ianequivalent
- Giovanniequivalent
- Evanequivalent
- JuanSpanish
- Ivanequivalent
- Gianniequivalent
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Johnnyequivalent
- Seanequivalent
- Johanequivalent
- Joanequivalent
- JeanFrench
- Gianequivalent
- Jonequivalent
- Hansequivalent
- Joaoequivalent
- Giannisequivalent
- Johannequivalent
- Yannisequivalent
- Ioannisequivalent
- Yanniequivalent
- Yiannisequivalent
- Ionequivalent
- Ivoequivalent
- Yvanequivalent
- Giovanequivalent
- Jehanequivalent
- Ioanequivalent
- Jaanequivalent
- Hannesequivalent
- Hannsequivalent
- Iwanequivalent
- Ieuanequivalent
- Ivanoequivalent
- Joannesequivalent
- Giuànequivalent
- Jónequivalent
- Иванequivalent
- Seánequivalent
- Янкаequivalent
- Johannèsequivalent
- Iwoequivalent
- Honzaequivalent
- Jóhannesequivalent
- Jankaequivalent
- Jógvanequivalent
- Иоаннequivalent
- Ivánequivalent
- ジョンJapanese
- Yankaequivalent
- Jóhannequivalent
- Jánosequivalent
- Ifanequivalent
- Jóhanequivalent
- Joãoequivalent
- Erwannequivalent
- Xoánequivalent
- Іванequivalent
- Siônequivalent
And 2 more.
People named Yann
- Yann MartelCanadian writerborn 1963
- Yann SommerSwiss association football playerborn 1988
- Yann TiersenFrench composer (born 1970)
- Yann Arthus-BertrandFrench photographer (born 1946)
- Yann LeCunFrench computer scientist (born 1960)born 1959
- Yann M'VilaFrench association football player (born 1990)
- Yann Aurel BisseckGerman footballer (born 2000)
- Yann KaramohFrench footballerborn 1998
- Yann GentyFrench handball playerborn 1981
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Yann, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Tahan
“encampment”
>99% boys
Abiezer
“my father is help” · “father of help”
>99% boys
Nethaniah
“Yah has given”
>99% boys
Kaleb
“resembling an aggressive dog”
>99% boys
Ryahn
>99% boys
Yaasir
>99% boys
Yoni
“dove” · “God has given”
>99% boys
Adain
“her mother's daughter; a mother's pride”
>99% boys