Joanna meaning

Meaning

Yah Has Been Gracious

Etymology

From (1) יה (yah), the shortened name of the Lord, and (2) the verb חנן (hanan), to be gracious.

Related names

• Via יה (yah): See the 'browse by form' menu for a long list of yah-names.

• Via חנן (hanan): Ananias, Anna, Annas, Baal-hanan, Ben-hanan, Elhanan, Elonbeth-hanan, Hanan, Hananel, Hanani, Hananiah, Hannah, Hannathon, Hannibal, Hanniel, Hanun, Hen, Henadad, Jannai, Jannes, Jehohanan, Joanan, Johanan, John, Jonan, Tahan, Tehinnah

There's only one Joanna mentioned in the Bible and she plays a part in Luke's stories surrounding Jesus (Luke 8:3).

Joanna was the wife of Chuza, a steward of king Herod, and she, Mary the Magdalene, Susanna and many others were either healed of evil spirits and sickness, or were funding Jesus' mission, or both. She was probably present when Jesus was laid in the tomb (Luke 23:55) but she was certainly there when he had risen (24:10).

The name Joanna is the feminine version of the Hebrew name Johanan, from whence comes the English name John. In Hebrew the name Joanna would look like this: יוחנה.

All these names consist of two parts. The first part is יה (Yah) = יהו (Yahu) = יו (Yu), which is the shortened form of the appellative יהוה, which is YHWH, the Name of the Lord.

The final part of the name comes from the verb חנן (hanan), meaning to be gracious:

The name Joanna means Yah Has Been Gracious.