Jóna is a feminine given name used in Iceland and the Faroe Islands. It is the Icelandic and Faroese form of Joanna, which ultimately traces back to the Hebrew name Yohanan (יוחנן), meaning "Yahweh has been gracious" — the same root as John. The name Joanna appears in the Christian New Testament as the name of a follower of Jesus, often identified as the wife of Chuza, Herod's steward. From Latin Iohanna, it entered Greek as Ἰωάννα (Ioanna), and spread across Europe in countless forms. Cultural Context in the North In Iceland and the Faroe Islands, Jóna serves as the counterpart to several masculine names: the Icelandic Jóhann and Jón, and the Faroese Jóhannes, Jóannes, and Jógvan. These masculine forms often outweigh their feminine equivalent in traditional popularity. Under Icelandic patronymic naming laws, girls named Jóna would receive "/name/jo10na" as a matronymic base; according to Wiktionary, her son would be surnamed Jónuson and her daughter Jónudóttir. In variant forms, Jónína also appears in Iceland, but Jóna remains the simpler, more direct continental form. Notable Bearers and Related Names While exact records are sparse, the name occurs moderately across Iceland and the Faroes. In Faroese custom, Jón matches it as the masculine name. A distinctly different entry exists in Slovak, where Jóna (pronounced yoh-nah) appears as a masculine surname meaning "John," as derived from Hungarian Jónás. But as a Finnish first name, rare or unknown, Jóna as Slavic surname is a different, albeit homograph, stream. Global Connections Jóna occupies a clear slot in the web of feminine versions of John. It is cognate with Greek Ioanna, Polish Joanna, Basque Jone, Ukrainian Zhanna, and even the native-U.S. adaptations Shavon and Shavonne. They all share the meaning 'God is gracious.' Since Yahweh is a potent thematic source Yahweh, the earliest root keeps profound religious DNA inside each translation. Meaning: ">God" is gracious (feminine form of John) Origin: Biblical Hebrew, via Latin and Greek Type: Given name (feminine) Main regions: Iceland and the Faroe Islands