Joan is the Catalan and Occitan form of the Latin name Iohannes, which ultimately derives from the Hebrew name Yoḥanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious.” While in English the name is rendered as John, Joan represents the local linguistic adaptation in the Catalan and Occitan speaking regions of northeastern Spain and southern France. The name has a long history in these areas, where it has been used as a masculine given name since the Middle Ages, reflecting the widespread popularity of the biblical figure John throughout Christian Europe.The name Joan (masculine) is not to be confused with the feminine English name Joan, which is a different name derived from the Old French form of Johanna. In Catalan and Occitan, Joan is exclusively male and is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable (ZHOO-ahn or JOO-ahn).Notable bearers of the name Joan in these cultural contexts include several historical figures, such as the Catalan architect Joan Martorell (19th century), the Occitan poet Joan B. Esteve (19th century), and Joan Miró (1893–1983), the famous Catalan painter and sculptor. The name also appears in the patronymic surname “Joan” or linked to “Joanot” as in Joanot Martorell, the author of the chivalric novel Tirant lo Blanc (1490). Religious figures include Saint Joan of Arc (Joan d’Arc in Occitan).