Johanna
Meaning of Johanna
Johanna is the Latin feminine form of Johannes, itself a transmission of the Greek Iōanna and the Hebrew Yoḥānān, a theophoric clause meaning “Yahweh is gracious.” From the Gospel figure who witnessed the Resurrection to the learned women of Renaissance Iberia who bore the name Juana, Johanna has flowed, like an unhurried but persistent river, through the cultural basins of Europe. Scholars note its early diffusion via the Vulgate Bible, after which it secured a dignified place in Germanic and Nordic lands and later migrated to the Americas with Protestant and Catholic settlers alike. Literary memory frames it in the alpine pages of Johanna Spyri, while musical history recalls the Romantic composer Johanna Kinkel—associations that lend the name an intellectual, even contemplative aura. In the United States its statistical curve, rising to a late-nineteenth-century crest and then settling into the middle ranks (from No. 156 in 1880 to No. 639 in 2024), illustrates a long, measured endurance rather than a volatile fashion cycle. Phonetically, Johanna accommodates regional cadences—English joh-HAN-uh, Finnish yo-HAHN-na, German or Dutch yo-HAHN-nah—yet every variant preserves the name’s core harmonic stress, reinforcing a sense of continental cohesion. For parents seeking a choice that unites biblical gravitas, European sophistication, and a gently uncommon modern profile, Johanna offers a timeless salutation to grace.
Pronunciation
English
- Pronunced as joh-HAN-uh (/joʊˈhænə/)
Finnish
- Pronunced as yo-HAHN-na (/jo'han:na/)
German
- Pronunced as yo-HAHN-nah (/jo'han:a/)
Dutch
- Pronunced as yoh-HAHN-nah (/jo'han:a/)
Swedish,Norwegian
- Pronunced as yoo-HAHN-nah (/ju:'han:a/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
States Popularity Chart
Notable People Named Johanna
| Johanna Konta is a British-Australian former tennis star who reached a career-high world No. 4 ranking and made the semifinals of three Grand Slam tournaments. |
| Johanna Hedva is an American contemporary artist, writer, and musician whose work explores themes of death, disability, and mysticism, with music influenced by Korean traditions and avant-garde styles. |
| Johanna Basford is a Scottish illustrator known for her hand-drawn, black and white illustrations featured in adult coloring books and various products. |
| Johanna Larsson is a Swedish former tennis player who won two WTA singles and fourteen doubles titles, achieving career-high rankings of 45 in singles and 20 in doubles. |
| Johanna Kern is a Canadian filmmaker and Transformational Teacher, best known for "Shadowland: The Legend," who helps people find personal power through the Master Teachings of HOPE. |
| Johanna Barbara Stachel is a German nuclear physicist who serves as a professor at the University of Heidelberg and formerly presided over the German Physical Society. |
| Johanna Spyri was a Swiss author best known for her beloved children's novel Heidi, inspired by her childhood summers in Graubünden. |
| Johanna Elisabeth of Baden-Durlach became the Duchess of Württemberg through marriage. |
| Johanna Nordblad is a Finnish designer, ice diver, and freediver. |
| Johanna Chao Kreilick served as president of the Union of Concerned Scientists from 2021 to 2024, lobbying Congress and business leaders to address climate change. |
| Johanna Tecklenborg - Johanne-Catharina Tecklenborg was a German painter. |
| Johanna of Hanau-Lichtenberg, Countess of Eberstein, was a German noblewoman and the eldest daughter of Count Philipp III and Margravine Sibylle of Baden. |
| Johanna Solano López is a Costa Rican TV host, model, actress, triathlete, and former Miss Universe contestant who placed in the Top 10 in 2011. |
| Johanna Beatrix of Dietrichstein - Princess Johanna Beatrix von Dietrichstein was a German noblewoman from the House of Dietrichstein who became Princess of Liechtenstein by marriage. |
| Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir served as Iceland's prime minister from 2009 to 2013. |
