Find out how popular the first name Gionni has been for the last 33 years (from 1991 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Gionni by gender

Based on the last 33 years of data, Gionni is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 93% of people named Gionni being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 78 male babies and 16 female babies born with the name Gionni.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 16 baby girls were named Gionni in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Gionni

The name Gionni is an Italian variant of the name John, which has its origins in the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Graced by God" or "Yahweh is gracious". The name John is derived from the ancient Hebrew name Yohanan, which is a compound of the two elements yo (referring to the Hebrew God) and hanan (meaning "he was gracious").

The name Gionni emerged as an Italian form of John, with the addition of the characteristic Italian "-i" ending. It is believed to have originated during the Middle Ages when the spread of Christianity and the influence of the Catholic Church led to the widespread adoption of biblical names across Europe, including Italy.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gionni can be found in the writings of the renowned Italian poet and philosopher Dante Alighieri (1265-1321). In his masterpiece, the Divine Comedy, Dante mentions a character named Gionni, though it is unclear whether this was a fictional character or a reference to a real person.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gionni. One of the earliest was Gionni da Pisa (1235-1301), an Italian architect and sculptor who is best known for his work on the Cathedral of Siena and the Camposanto Monumentale in Pisa.

Another prominent figure with the name Gionni was Gionni Pontano (1429-1503), a renowned Italian humanist, poet, and statesman who served as the prime minister of Naples under King Ferdinand I of Naples.

In the realm of art, Gionni Giacometti (1868-1933) was a Swiss painter and sculptor who is often associated with the Modernist movement. His son, the celebrated sculptor Alberto Giacometti (1901-1966), was also known by his first name Gionni in some circles.

More recently, Gionni Gavio (1936-2016) was an Italian businessman and entrepreneur who founded the construction company Impregilo, which was involved in major infrastructure projects around the world.

While the name Gionni is not as common today as it once was, it has a rich historical legacy and has been borne by individuals from various walks of life, including artists, writers, architects, and statesmen, across centuries of Italian history.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Gionni was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Gionni, please contact us.

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