UK girl's name
Yohanna
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is gracious".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Yohanna is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Yohanna popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3695, with 6 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2017, with 8 births.
This profile covers 85 England and Wales registrations across 16 recorded years from 2001 to 2024. 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 85 living people in the UK are called Yohanna. 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 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Yohanna ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 6 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2017, when 8 girls were registered as Yohanna.
- • About 85 living people in the UK are estimated to have Yohanna as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#3695
2024
Births in 2024
6
Latest year
Peak year
2017
8 births
Estimated living
85
2026
Meaning
What does Yohanna mean?
The name Yohanna has its origins in the ancient Aramaic language, which was widely spoken in the Middle East during the time of Jesus Christ. It is derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, which means "Yahweh is gracious" or "God is merciful." This name was later transliterated into Greek as Ioánnes and then into Latin as Ioannes, from which the English variants John and Joan emerged.
The name Yohanna is closely associated with John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ, whose birth and life are recorded in the New Testament Gospels. John the Baptist was a prominent figure in early Christianity and is revered as a saint by various Christian denominations.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Yohanna can be found in the Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient Jewish religious manuscripts dating back to the 3rd century BCE. The name also appears in various ancient Aramaic and Syriac texts, reflecting its widespread use in the region during that time.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Yohanna. One prominent example is Yohanna bar Malke, a 7th-century Syriac bishop and writer who authored several theological works. Another notable figure is Yohanna Jacobus Wetstein (1693-1754), a Dutch philologist and biblical scholar renowned for his critical edition of the Greek New Testament.
In the realm of literature, the name Yohanna is associated with the 13th-century Persian poet Yohanna al-Dimashqi, who wrote extensively on Sufism and mysticism. Additionally, Yohanna Kurkuas (died 923 CE) was a prominent Byzantine general and statesman who played a significant role in the Byzantine-Arab Wars.
Another noteworthy individual was Yohanna XI (1389-1448), a Coptic Pope of Alexandria and Patriarch of the See of St. Mark. He is remembered for his efforts in preserving Coptic Christian traditions and fostering unity within the church during a time of political turmoil.
These are just a few examples of the rich history and diverse cultural heritage associated with the name Yohanna, which has been borne by individuals from various religious, intellectual, and political backgrounds throughout the centuries.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Yohanna over time
The chart below shows babies named Yohanna registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Yohanna, the clearest high point is 2017. The latest England and Wales figure is 6 births in 2024, compared with 8 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Yohanna by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Yohanna 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 | #3796 | 28 | 5 |
| 2010s | #3939 | 51 | 9 |
| 2000s | #4600 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Yohanna
- 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
Yohanna: questions and answers
How popular is the name Yohanna in the UK right now?
In 2024, Yohanna was ranked #3695 for girls in England and Wales, with 6 births registered.
When was Yohanna most popular?
The peak year on record was 2017, with 8 babies registered as Yohanna in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Yohanna?
A feminine name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is gracious".
How many people are called Yohanna in the UK?
A total of 85 babies have been registered as Yohanna across the 16 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.