Gianni
Gianni is an Italian name, a short form of the Italian Giovanni and a cognate of John, meaning God is gracious. Gianni is the most common diminutive of Giovanni in Italian.
- Italian
Meaning & Origin of Gianni
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Gianni is an Italian name, a short form of the Italian Giovanni and a cognate of John, meaning God is gracious. Gianni is the most common diminutive of Giovanni in Italian.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Italian
The Story of Gianni
As a girl name
Gianni first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a girl name in 1980, with 10 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2021: 253 births, good for #1,008 nationwide. The 2020s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 40% of all recorded Giannis. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #1,283 among girl names with 178 births, gradually rising (+13%). In total, more than 4K Giannis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1980s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
American parents first put Gianni on the record books as a boy name in 1962, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2020, when 897 Giannis were born — ranking #354 that year. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 34% of all recorded Giannis. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #509 among boy names with 597 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 16K Giannis have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Gianni
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Gianni. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Gianni
Phonetically similar names — useful when Gianni is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Gianni
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About the name Gianni
Gianni is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1962 and has accumulated 16K births in the dataset. Gianni's peak popularity came in 2020 when it ranked #354. Use the chart and map above to compare Gianni's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2020 →
- Names of the 2020s →
- Names starting with "G" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.