Giovanna is the Italian feminine form of Giovanni, the Italian John, so it means "God is gracious" or "Yahweh is merciful". Giovanna of Naples ruled as queen in the 14th century, and Giovanna is the Italian name of Joan of Arc, Giovanna d'Arco, as in Verdi's opera. The name has remained in the US top 1000 since 2000, peaked at number 638 in 2001 and ranks number 878 among girls in 2025.