Joann
Joann was the 3049th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 54 babies. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked 50th; the most babies were born in 1942 (4,506). Over the last ten years it has moved down 870 places. More babies were named Joann in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Joanne) from Joanna, or Jo + Anne · English, French, Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #3,049 girls, down 378 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 54girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19424,506 babies
- Total since 1880
- 157,456babies recorded
What does the name Joann mean?
Joann is a spelling of Joanne, pronounced the same way, so it shares Joanne's meaning and origin.
Joanne comes from Old French Joanne, from Latin Joanna, the feminine of John, from Hebrew Yoḥanan 'YHWH is gracious', as Wiktionary notes; in English it was also formed by joining Jo and Anne. Joanna appears in the Gospel of Luke (8:3) as a follower of Jesus. Joanne was popular in the US in the 1930s to 1950s.
יוֹחָנָן (Yoḥanan) (Biblical Hebrew, “YHWH is gracious”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Joanna, Joan, Jo, Anne, Joann.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Joanne', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joan', DMNES (Durham University)
Joann popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 564 since 1926.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,049 | 54 |
| 2020 | #2,671 | 63 |
| 2010 | #2,502 | 74 |
| 2000 | #1,349 | 140 |
| 1990 | #684 | 312 |
| 1980 | #385 | 599 |
| 1970 | #205 | 1,559 |
| 1960 | #131 | 3,409 |
| 1950 | #98 | 3,600 |
| 1940 | #63 | 3,789 |
| 1930 | #118 | 2,131 |
| 1920 | #600 | 143 |
| 1910 | #986 | 20 |
| 1900 | #1,368 | 9 |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Joann, counting every spelling?
Joann is a spelling of Joanne, a name family that ranked #1,535 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #3,049 for Joann on its own. Together these spellings went to 120 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joanne | 66 | #2,630 | 355 |
| Joann | 54 | #3,049 | 294 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Joann?
54 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Joann (0.02 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Joann born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 155 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Joann.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Joann?
About 95,200 people born in the US named Joann are alive today, with a median age of 69; half are between 60 and 79. That makes Joann a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Joann by state
How common Joann was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. In 45 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Joann: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Joann, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Joann
What does Joann mean?
Joann is a spelling of Joanne, which means “from Joanna, or Jo + Anne” (English, French, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Joann?
Joann was the 3049th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 54 babies. Its best year was 1934, when it ranked 50th; the most babies were born in 1942 (4,506). Over the last ten years it has moved down 870 places. More babies were named Joann in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Joann a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Joann in the US.
Where is Joann most popular?
In 2021–2025, Joann was most common in Indiana (0.06 per 1,000 girls), followed by Ohio and Missouri.