Jana

See also: jana, jaña, and Jāņa

English

Etymology

From Czech Jana, ultimately from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān) which produced John and its many doublets. As a placeholder name, cf. similar use of John and Jack and earlier use of Joan in the same role.

Doublet of Ivana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.

Proper noun

Jana

1. A female given name from Czech.

See also

• Jana Gana Mana

Anagrams

• naja

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈjana]
• Rhymes: -ana
• Hyphenation: Ja‧na

Etymology 1

From Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān).

Proper noun

Jana f (relational adjective Janin)

1. a female given name, equivalent to English Jane
2. Joanna (biblical character)

Declension

Declension of Jana (hard feminine)

	singular	plural
nominative	Jana	Jany
genitive	Jany	Jan
dative	Janě	Janám
accusative	Janu	Jany
vocative	Jano, Jani1	Jany
locative	Janě	Janách
instrumental	Janou	Janami

¹Informal.

Derived terms

• Janička
• Janinka
• Janka

Related terms

• Johana

Further reading

• “Jana”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “Jana”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “Jana”, in Internetová jazyková příručka (in Czech), 2008–2026

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Proper noun

Jana

1. genitive/accusative singular of Jan

Estonian

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɑnɑ/

Proper noun

Jana

1. a female given name, variant of Jaana, from Johanna

Faroese

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Proper noun

Jana

1. a female given name

Usage notes

Matronymics

• Jana's son: Januson
• Jana's daughter: Janudóttir

Declension

	singular
	indefinite
nominative	Jana
accusative	Janu
dative	Janu
genitive	Janu

German

Etymology

Today usually interpreted as the feminine form of Jan, though it can also derive from Juliana.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈjaːna]

• Audio (Austria):

  (file)

• Audio (Germany (Berlin)):

  (file)

• Hyphenation: Ja‧na

Proper noun

Jana

1. a female given name

Icelandic

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjaːna/
• Rhymes: -aːna

Proper noun

Jana f (proper noun, genitive singular Jönu)

1. a female given name

Declension

Declension of Jana (sg-only feminine)

indefinite singular
nominative	Jana
accusative	Jönu
dative	Jönu
genitive	Jönu

Latin

Alternative forms

• Dīāna, Diāna, Iāna

Etymology

Variant of Diāna shortened by procope, from Old Latin Dīāna by syncope of Old Latin Dīvāna. Compare Jūpiter from Old Latin Diēspiter, and Jovis from Old Latin Diovis. Also see Ancient Greek Διώνη (Diṓnē), from a shared root whence by analogical formation also evolved Latin Jūnō, Jūnōnis.

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): [ˈjaː.na]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): [ˈjaː.na]

Proper noun

Jāna f (genitive Jānae); first declension

1. (religion) alternative spelling of Iāna (“the goddess Diana”)

Declension

First-declension noun.

	singular	plural
nominative	Jāna	Jānae
genitive	Jānae	Jānārum
dative	Jānae	Jānīs
accusative	Jānam	Jānās
ablative	Jānā	Jānīs
vocative	Jāna	Jānae

References

• “Jana”, in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879), A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• “Jana”, in Gaffiot, Félix (1934), Dictionnaire illustré latin-français, Hachette.

Latvian

Etymology

First recorded as a given name of Latvians in 1925. A modern feminine form of Jānis, variant of Johanna.

Proper noun

Jana f

1. a female given name

References

• Klāvs Siliņš: Latviešu personvārdu vārdnīca. Riga "Zinātne" 1990, →ISBN
• [1] Population Register of Latvia: Jana was the only given name of 4123 persons in Latvia on May 21st 2010.

Serbo-Croatian

Etymology

A variant of Ana, mainly found in the Kajkavian speaking area.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jǎːna/, /jâna/
• Rhymes: -ǎːna

Proper noun

Jána or Jȁna f (Cyrillic spelling Ја́на or Ја̏на)

1. a female given name

Declension

    Declension of Jana

	singular	plural
nominative	Jana	Jane
genitive	Jane	Jana
dative	Jani	Janama
accusative	Janu	Jane
vocative	Jano	Jane
locative	Jani	Janama
instrumental	Janom	Janama

Further reading

• “Jana”, in Portal suvremenih hrvatskih osobnih imena [Portal of contemporary Croatian personal names] (in Serbo-Croatian), 2018–2026

Slovak

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jana/, [ˈjana]
• Rhymes: -ana
• Hyphenation: Ja‧na

Proper noun

Jana f (diminutive Janka or Januľa or Januľka or Janulienka or Januša or Januška or Janina or Janinka)

1. a female given name

Declension

Declension of Jana
(pattern žena)

	singular	plural
nominative	Jana	Jany
genitive	Jany	Ján
dative	Jane	Janám
accusative	Janu	Jany
locative	Jane	Janách
instrumental	Janou	Janami

Further reading

• “Jana”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026