See also: joan and Jóan

English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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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. Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jean, Jeanne, Jen, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

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Joan

  1. A female given name from French, a feminine form of John.
    • 1979, Margaret Atwood, Lady Oracle, page 336:
      Maybe my mother didn't name me after Joan Crawford after all, I thought; she just told me that to cover up. She named me after Joan of Arc, didn't she know what happened to women like that?

Usage notes

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  • Joan was the usual feminine form of John in the Middle Ages. It was superseded by Jane in the 17th century, but was again very popular during the first half of the 20th century.

Derived terms

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Translations

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Noun

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Joan (plural Joans)

  1. (colloquial, obsolete or archaic) A placeholder or conventional name for any woman, particularly a younger lower-class woman.
  2. (fashion, obsolete or archaic) A kind of close-fitting cap for women popular in the mid-18th century.
    • 1756, Connoisseur, number 134, page 810:
      A grocer's wife attractd our eyes by a new-fashioned cap called a Joan.

Usage notes

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  • Despite being a common noun, the word is still treated as a name and capitalized as such. In the 16th and 17th centuries, often with implications of plain appearance but sexual availability. In the 18th and 19th centuries, often with implication of rusticness.

Synonyms

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Coordinate terms

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Derived terms

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References

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Anagrams

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Catalan

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Etymology

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Inherited from Latin Iohannes, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוחנן (Yôḥānān, Yahweh is gracious).

Pronunciation

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Proper noun

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Joan m

  1. a male given name, equivalent to English John
  2. (biblical) John
  3. (biblical) John (book of the Bible)

Danish

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Proper noun

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Joan

  1. a female given name from English borrowed from English, popular in the 1950s and the 1960s

Manx

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Proper noun

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Joan f

  1. a female given name

Mutation

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Manx mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
Joan Yoan N'yoan
Note: Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every
possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Middle English

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Proper noun

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Joan

  1. Alternative form of John

Occitan

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Etymology

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From Latin Iohannes, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוחנן (Yôḥānān, Yahweh is gracious).

Pronunciation

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  • IPA(key): /d͡ʒuˈan/, /ˈd͡ʒwan/

Proper noun

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Joan

  1. a male given name, equivalent to English John

Old Galician-Portuguese

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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    Inherited from Latin Iōannēs, borrowed from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), borrowed from Biblical Hebrew יוֹחָנָן.

    Proper noun

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    Joan

    1. (biblical) John (one of four persons of the Bible)
    2. a male given name, equivalent to English John
      • 13th century, Fernão Rodrigues de Calheiros, [cantiga 1333]; republished as Angelo Colocci, compiler, Cancioneiro da Biblioteca Nacional, Italy, 1525c.1526, cantiga 1333:

        Viſtes o caualeyro que diʒia
        Que iohan moniʒ era mentia
        Ca Ioham iohannes o acharon
        E tomaronlhi quanto tragia
        E foy de gram uentura aquel dia
        Que eſcapou queo non enforcaron

        Have you seen the knight that said he was John Moniz? He was lying, for they discovered he was John Johannes and took him away. And he got lucky that day, because he was nearly hanged.

    Descendants

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    • Galician: Xoán
    • Portuguese: João

    References

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    Yola

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    Proper noun

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    Joan

    1. a male given name, variant of Jone
      • 1867, GLOSSARY OF THE DIALECT OF FORTH AND BARGY:
        Sank Joan is oor brover.
        St. John is our brother.

    References

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    • Jacob Poole (d. 1827) (before 1828) William Barnes, editor, A Glossary, With some Pieces of Verse, of the old Dialect of the English Colony in the Baronies of Forth and Bargy, County of Wexford, Ireland, London: J. Russell Smith, published 1867, page 28