Giana
A feminine diminutive form of the Italian name Giovanna meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 9,998 living Americans carry the first name Giana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Giana today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Giana births was 2010 (515 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Giana. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Giana is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
10.0K
~ 1 in 34,282 Americans
Peak year
2010
515 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#864
Tracked since 1963
Popularity
Giana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Giana from the 1960s through to the 2020s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 3,720 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Giana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Giana by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Giana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Gianas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 35 states and territories. California, New York, Florida recorded the most babies named Giana, while West Virginia, Alabama, Delaware recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 241 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Giana
The name Giana is believed to have its roots in the Italian language, derived from the feminine form of the name Gian, which is a shortened version of the Italian name Giovanni. Giovanni itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "God is gracious" or "Yahweh is merciful."
The earliest recorded use of the name Giana can be traced back to the late Middle Ages in Italy, particularly in regions like Tuscany and Lombardy. It was a popular name among the Italian nobility and upper classes during the Renaissance period, often given to daughters of wealthy families.
One of the earliest known historical references to the name Giana comes from a 14th-century Italian text, "La Divina Commedia" by Dante Alighieri. In this literary masterpiece, Dante mentions a character named Giana, although it is unclear whether this was a real person or a fictional character.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Giana. One prominent example is Giana Nannini, an Italian singer-songwriter and musician born in 1954. She is renowned for her successful music career spanning over four decades and has released numerous hit albums and singles.
Another famous Giana was Giana Anguissola (1535-1598), an Italian Renaissance painter who was part of a family of artists. She gained recognition for her exceptional portraits and was among the first women to be admitted to the Accademia di San Luca, a prestigious art academy in Rome.
In the realm of literature, Giana Maffei (1675-1737) was an Italian poet and playwright who wrote several tragedies and comedies that were widely acclaimed during her time. Her works often explored themes of love, honor, and the complexities of human relationships.
Moving to the 20th century, Giana Calvi (1908-1992) was an Italian actress and film director who made significant contributions to the Italian cinema industry. She directed several films and was also a prominent figure in the Italian theater scene.
Another noteworthy individual with the name Giana was Giana Anguissola (1926-2012), an Italian politician and lawyer. She served as a member of the Italian Parliament and was actively involved in advocating for women's rights and equality.
While the name Giana has its roots in Italian culture, it has gained popularity in various other parts of the world over the centuries, with variations in spelling and pronunciation. However, its origins can be traced back to the rich history and linguistic heritage of Italy.
People
Giana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Giana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Giana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Giana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9,998 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Giana going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,282 US residents.
Is Giana a common name?
We classify Giana as "Rare". It ranks above 97.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10,142 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Giana most popular?
The single biggest year for Giana was 2010, when 515 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Giana is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Giana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Giana in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.