How to say it
gio · VAN · ni
ˌdʒoʊˈvɑn.i
Masculine
Giovanni
God is gracious
What it means
Italian form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan via Latin Iohannes. The name of Renaissance artists (Giovanni Bellini, Giovanni Boccaccio) and modern Italian footballers; a major Italian-tradition name.
Giovanni is the Italian form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan ('Yahweh is gracious') via Latin Iohannes and Old Italian Giovanno. The name has been continuous in Italian usage for over a thousand years. Giovanni Bellini (the Venetian Renaissance painter), Giovanni Boccaccio (the Decameron), and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (the Renaissance composer) anchor the historical tradition. The English-speaking US adopted Giovanni in earnest in the 1990s, particularly in Italian-American and Latino families. It's been in the US top 200 since 2002. Common shorts: Gio, Gianni, Vanni.
How to spell Giovanni
The standard spelling is Giovanni. Common variants include Gianni, Juan, John, but Giovanni is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #117 in 2010, currently #123 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Gio is the universal modern short; Gianni is the older Italian form and works as a standalone name in many Italian-American families.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Giovanni Boccaccio 14th-century Italian writer, author of the Decameron
- Giovanni Bellini Venetian Renaissance painter, brother-in-law of Mantegna
Spelling variants
- Gianni
- Juan
- John
Names with the same feeling
See Giovanni from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Giovanni mean?
- Italian form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan via Latin Iohannes. The name of Renaissance artists (Giovanni Bellini, Giovanni Boccaccio) and modern Italian footballers; a major Italian-tradition name.
- What does Giovanni mean in Italian?
- In Italian, Giovanni means "God is gracious." Giovanni is the Italian form of John, from the Hebrew Yochanan ('Yahweh is gracious') via Latin Iohannes and Old Italian Giovanno. The name has been continuous in Italian usage for over a thousand years. Giovanni Bellini (the Venetian Renaissance painter), Giovanni Boccaccio (the Decameron), and Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (the Renaissance composer) anchor the historical tradition. The English-speaking US adopted Giovanni in earnest in the 1990s, particularly in Italian-American and Latino families. It's been in the US top 200 since 2002. Common shorts: Gio, Gianni, Vanni.
- How do you pronounce Giovanni?
- Giovanni is pronounced ˌdʒoʊˈvɑn.i. Say it as gio-VAN-ni, with the stress on the "van" syllable.
- How do you spell Giovanni?
- The standard spelling is Giovanni. Common spelling variants include Gianni, Juan, John.
- Is Giovanni a boy or girl name?
- Giovanni is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Giovanni?
- Giovanni ranked #123 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.