Joan

At a Glance: Name: Joan – Meaning: 'God is gracious' (from Hebrew Yehochanan) – Origin: Hebrew (via Latin/Greek, English form of Joanna, Catalan form of John) – Gender: used for both boys and girls

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Joan is the English form of Joanna and the Catalan form of John, tracing back through Latin and Greek to the Hebrew Yehochanan, meaning 'God is gracious.' It's a name with real depth of history behind that simple, one-syllable sound.

Meaning & Origin of Joan

Meaning: 'god is gracious' (from hebrew yehochanan).

Origin: Hebrew (via Latin/Greek, English form of Joanna, Catalan form of John).

Source: Wiktionary.

Popularity of Joan

Joan reached its high point in 1931, when 19,119 baby girls were given the name and it ranked #5 nationally. By 2024 it had fallen far from that peak, with just 220 babies named Joan and a rank of #1013.

Source: U.S. Social Security Administration birth-name data, 1880–2024.

Make Joan Name Art

Free printable nursery art for Joan, pre-loaded below — pick a layout, palette, and font, then download a print-ready PNG.

Names With a Similar Story

Derived from shared style, era, and origin data (or, for names we have no style data for, a similar Social Security popularity trajectory) — not a hand-picked list.

• Roselyn
• Joyce
• Beverly
• Billy
• Elouise
• Rosalee

FAQ

What does the name Joan mean?

‘god is gracious’ (from hebrew yehochanan). (Source: Wiktionary, https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Joan)

Is Joan a popular name right now?

Joan peaked at #5 in 1931 and is ranked #1013 as of 2024. (U.S. Social Security Administration data, 1880–2024.)

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