Gianna
A feminine Italian form of Giovanna, derived from the Greek name Ioannes.
Roughly 103,490 people in the United States go by the first name Gianna, which ranks #23 nationally when sorted by estimated living bearers. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Gianna today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gianna births was 2020 (7,906 babies). In terms of living bearers, it sits close to Tanya (103,116).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gianna. 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
- • Although Gianna is used almost entirely for girls, the SSA data does show 73 boys registered with the name since 1880.
- • Gianna is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 13 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
103K
~ 1 in 3,312 Americans
Peak year
2020
7,906 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2024 SSA rank
#23
Tracked since 1951
Gender
Gender distribution for Gianna
Out of the 104,698 babies given the name Gianna since 1880, 99.9% were registered as female. The name sits firmly on the female side of the spectrum, with only a handful of male registrations across the entire dataset.
Gianna as a male name
- Ranked #10,199 in 2024
- 7 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2021 (8 births)
Gianna as a female name
- Ranked #23 in 2024
- 6,097 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (7,899 births)
Popularity
Gianna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Gianna from the 1950s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 34,681 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Gianna 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 Gianna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Giannas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 50 states and territories. California, New York, Texas recorded the most babies named Gianna, while Vermont, Montana, Alaska recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 2,060 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Gianna
The name Gianna has its roots in the Italian language and culture, originating from the feminine form of the Italian name Giovanni, which is derived from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." It is believed that the name Gianna emerged during the Medieval period, around the 12th or 13th century, as a variation of the more common Italian name Giovanna.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gianna can be traced back to the 13th century, when it was mentioned in various Italian literature and historical records. The name gained popularity during the Renaissance period, particularly in Italy, where it was often associated with nobility and high social standing.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Gianna. One of the most famous is Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian Catholic pediatrician and saint who lived from 1922 to 1962. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2004 for her heroic virtue in choosing to undergo a risky pregnancy to save her unborn child's life.
Another prominent historical figure with the name Gianna was Gianna Nannini, an Italian singer and songwriter born in 1956. She is widely regarded as one of the most influential and successful female rock artists in Italian music history, known for her powerful vocals and emotionally charged lyrics.
In the realm of literature, Gianna Patrizi (1662-1727) was an Italian poet and playwright who gained recognition for her works during the Baroque period. Her plays and poetry often explored themes of love, passion, and the complexities of human relationships.
The name Gianna also appears in religious texts and historical records. For instance, Gianna della Croce (1395-1436) was an Italian mystic and Dominican tertiary who is venerated as a blessed in the Catholic Church.
Another notable figure is Gianna Beretta Molla Città (1922-1962), an Italian Catholic saint who sacrificed her life to save her unborn child. She was canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2004 and is revered for her courage and selflessness.
People
Gianna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gianna 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
Gianna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gianna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 103,490 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gianna 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 3,312 US residents.
Is Gianna a common name?
We classify Gianna as "Common". It ranks above 99.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 104,698 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gianna most popular?
The single biggest year for Gianna was 2020, when 7,906 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gianna is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Gianna a female name?
Yes, 99.9% of people registered as Gianna 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.