Girl · #359 in 2026

Joanna

Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from Koine Greek: Ἰωάννα, romanized: Iōanna from Hebrew: יוֹחָנָה, romanized: Yôḥānāh, lit. 'God is gracious'. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, and Jeanne.

Current Rank
#359
Peak Rank
#88 (1984)
Total Babies
113K
5-Yr Trend
-28%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1984
Peak Year
#88
Peak Rank
113K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Joanna

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from Koine Greek: Ἰωάννα, romanized: Iōanna from Hebrew: יוֹחָנָה, romanized: Yôḥānāh, lit. 'God is gracious'. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, and Jeanne.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Joanna

Joanna first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 26 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1984, when 3,332 Joannas were born — ranking #88 that year. As of 2026, Joanna ranks #359 for baby girls with 857 births, falling sharply (-28%). In total, more than 113K Joannas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Joanna

Phonetically similar names — useful when Joanna 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 Joanna

What does the name Joanna mean?
Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from Koine Greek: Ἰωάννα, romanized: Iōanna from Hebrew: יוֹחָנָה, romanized: Yôḥānāh, lit. 'God is gracious'. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice, Jean, and Jeanne.
How popular is Joanna in 2026?
In 2026, Joanna ranks #359 among girls' names in the U.S., with 857 babies given the name that year.
When was Joanna most popular?
Joanna reached its peak popularity in 1984, ranking #88 that year with 3,332 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Joanna most popular?
Joanna has historically been most popular in U.S. Territories, New Mexico, New York. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Joanna.
Is Joanna a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Joanna is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Joanna?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Joanna include Velma, Maureen, Deanna. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Velma
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👧
Maureen
Peak #88
👧
Deanna
Peak #88
👧
Hilda
Peak #87
👧
Lucia
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👧
Katrina
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👧
Yolanda
Peak #89
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Bethany
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About the name Joanna

Joanna is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 113K births in the dataset. Joanna's peak popularity came in 1984 when it ranked #88. Use the chart and map above to compare Joanna's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.