Fun Facts About the Name Jovana
- More than 2 thousand babies named Jovana: U.S. records list 2,048 babies given the name Jovana from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Jovana Mean?
Jovana is a feminine given name meaning "God is gracious." It is the feminine form of Jovan, the South Slavic form of John. The name runs back through Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes to Hebrew Yohanan (יוֹחָנָן), formed from a short form of the divine name YHWH plus the verb chanan, "to be gracious, to show favor." The literal sense is close to "YHWH has shown favor"; "God is gracious" is the customary English rendering rather than a word-for-word translation. The shared first syllable with the Roman god Jove (Latin Iovis) is coincidental; the names are unrelated.
Jovana Name History & Origins
Jovana belongs to the family of feminine names built on John. Greek-speaking Christians used the feminine Ioanna, and Latin produced Johanna. Slavic speakers who received the name through Byzantine Christian missionary work formed Jovan from Greek Ioannes, with Jovana as its feminine counterpart, written Јована in Cyrillic. As with other Slavic forms of John, such as Russian Ivan and Polish Jan, the name spread along with the calendars of saints honoring John the Baptist and John the Apostle.
The name is most firmly established in Serbia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia, and it also appears in Bulgaria, where it is written Йована. Emigration from those countries in the twentieth century carried it to North America, Western Europe, and Australia. Jovanka, a related Serbian feminine form from the same root, developed alongside it and has its own history of use.
How Popular is the Name Jovana?
Jovana has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2001. Its best rank was #1,133 in 2001.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #11,374 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2024 | #6,249 | 19 | 0.0012% |
| 2023 | #8,242 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #5,540 | 23 | 0.0014% |
| 2021 | #7,091 | 16 | 0.0010% |
| 2020 | #5,555 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 2019 | #4,828 | 28 | 0.0017% |
| 2018 | #5,685 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 2017 | #5,932 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2016 | #7,051 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2015 | #6,338 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2014 | #6,094 | 21 | 0.0012% |
| 2013 | #7,198 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #4,655 | 31 | 0.0018% |
| 2011 | #4,408 | 33 | 0.0019% |
| 2010 | #3,379 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 2009 | #3,645 | 44 | 0.0024% |
| 2008 | #3,673 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 2007 | #3,626 | 45 | 0.0023% |
| 2006 | #3,151 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 2005 | #2,653 | 64 | 0.0035% |
| 2004 | #2,378 | 72 | 0.0039% |
| 2003 | #2,214 | 78 | 0.0043% |
| 2002 | #2,188 | 76 | 0.0042% |
| 2001 | #1,133 | 185 | 0.0103% |
| 2000 | #2,552 | 59 | 0.0032% |
| 1999 | #3,275 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 1998 | #2,294 | 62 | 0.0035% |
| 1997 | #2,793 | 44 | 0.0025% |
| 1996 | #2,924 | 41 | 0.0023% |
| 1995 | #2,380 | 55 | 0.0031% |
| 1994 | #2,278 | 58 | 0.0032% |
| 1993 | #1,440 | 112 | 0.0062% |
| 1992 | #2,090 | 65 | 0.0035% |
| 1991 | #2,400 | 53 | 0.0028% |
| 1990 | #2,186 | 59 | 0.0031% |
| 1989 | #3,353 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1988 | #4,080 | 22 | 0.0012% |
| 1987 | #3,131 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1986 | #3,399 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1985 | #4,043 | 20 | 0.0012% |
| 1984 | #3,180 | 27 | 0.0016% |
| 1983 | #2,615 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 1982 | #3,463 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1981 | #2,810 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 1980 | #2,366 | 41 | 0.0025% |
| 1979 | #3,191 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 1978 | #3,041 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1977 | #4,127 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1976 | #3,865 | 17 | 0.0012% |
| 1975 | #6,767 | 8 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Jovana Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Jovana's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jovana's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.