Vanna

Origin and meaning of Vanna

Vanna is an affectionate short form of Giovanna, feminine of Giovanni, from the Hebrew Yohanan, 'God is merciful, gift of God'. It thus keeps the luminous meaning of the original name in a shorter, more familiar shape. In Italy it enjoyed some popularity in the twentieth century, often as a pet form that entered official use, but it remains fairly rare today. It is a typically Italian name, little known abroad, where the fuller forms such as Giovanna, Jeanne or Joanna survive instead.