Etymograph

English

Joan

Joan comes from Latin Joanna, and goes back to Koine Greek Ἰωάννα.

  1. Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEἸωάνναIōánna
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEJoanna
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1598Joan

attested reconstructed ? uncertain or disputed

Earlier history not traced here.

Lineage

  1. Koine Greekc. 300 BCE–600 CEἸωάνναIōánna
  2. Latinc. 75 BCE–200 CEJoanna
  3. Englishearliest quotation 1598Joan

Earliest quotation: 1598, William Shakespeare, Loues Labors Lost: “Ber. O and I forsoth in loue, I that…”

The story

A clipped or hypochoristic form of Joanna, from Latin Joanna, 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.

Every English word from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα

Today it means

name A female given name from French, a feminine form of John.

Language periods are conventional ranges, not dates for this word.

Etymograph / Koine Greek Ἰωάννα / Joan

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