UK girl's name
Yanna
A feminine name of Slavic origin meaning "gracious gift of God".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Yanna is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Yanna popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4709, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1997, with 5 births.
This profile covers 28 England and Wales registrations across 8 recorded years from 1997 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 28 living people in the UK are called Yanna. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Yanna ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 1997, when 5 girls were registered as Yanna.
- • About 28 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yanna as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4709
2023
Births in 2023
4
Latest year
Peak year
1997
5 births
Estimated living
28
2026
Meaning
What does Yanna mean?
The name Yanna has its origins in several ancient languages and cultures. It is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan or Yochanan, which means "Yahweh is gracious" or "God is merciful." This name can be traced back to the Old Testament and the biblical figure of John the Baptist.
In Russian and Slavic cultures, Yanna is a diminutive form of the name Ioanna, which is the feminine equivalent of the Greek name Ioannes, also meaning "God is gracious." It is believed to have been popularized in Russia during the Middle Ages, particularly among noble families.
Yanna is also a variant of the Scandinavian name Yana, which is derived from the Greek name Ioanna. This name was common among Vikings and Norse settlers in various parts of Europe during the Viking Age (8th to 11th centuries).
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yanna can be found in the writings of the Byzantine historian Procopius of Caesarea, who lived in the 6th century AD. He mentioned a woman named Yanna who was involved in a political conspiracy during the reign of the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I.
Notable historical figures who bore the name Yanna include Yanna of Lezhe (c. 1366-1436), an Albanian nun and philanthropist who is venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church. Another notable bearer of the name was Yanna Ruckert (1893-1972), a German-American actress and singer who appeared in several films during the silent era.
In the 17th century, there was a Russian noble named Yanna Mikhailovna Miloslavskaya (c. 1630-1694), who served as a lady-in-waiting to Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich and was known for her influence in court politics.
Yanna Andrevna Khitrovo (1764-1837) was a Russian noblewoman and courtier during the reign of Catherine the Great. She was known for her beauty and intellect, and was a prominent figure in the cultural and literary circles of St. Petersburg.
In the 20th century, Yanna Camel (1909-1991) was a Greek actress and singer who appeared in numerous films and stage productions, and was considered a cultural icon in her home country.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yanna over time
The chart below shows babies named Yanna registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Yanna, the clearest high point is 1997. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2023, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yanna by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yanna was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4709 | 4 | 1 |
| 2010s | #5687 | 6 | 2 |
| 2000s | #4612 | 13 | 4 |
| 1990s | #2738 | 5 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Yanna
- Yasmin 10,052
- Yusra 2,725
- Yasmine 2,474
- Yara 1,487
- Yazmin 806
- Yumna 601
- Yasmeen 527
- Yasmina 518
- Yasemin 513
- Yana 452
- Yvie 377
- Yvonne 368
FAQ
Yanna: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yanna in the UK right now?
In 2023, Yanna was ranked #4709 for girls in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Yanna most popular?
The peak year on record was 1997, with 5 babies registered as Yanna in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yanna?
A feminine name of Slavic origin meaning "gracious gift of God".
How many people are called Yanna in the UK?
A total of 28 babies have been registered as Yanna across the 8 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.