Joachim

Joachim is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It derives from the Hebrew name Yoḥāqīm (often rendered Jehoiakim), meaning “Yahweh will establish” or “established by God.” The form Joachim arose in Latin and spread through Western Europe, with various local spellings such as Joakim, Ioachim, or Gioacchino in different languages.

In Christian tradition, Saint Joachim is the husband of Saint Anne and the grandfather of Jesus, venerated in various Western calendars. Joachim of Fiore, or Gioacchino da Fiore, was a 12th- to 13th-century Italian monk and theologian whose prophetic interpretations of history influenced medieval and early modern thought.

Today the name remains common across Europe, especially in German-speaking countries, the Nordic region, France, and Poland. Variants include Joakim in Scandinavian languages, Ioachim in some Eastern European contexts, and Gioacchino in Italian. While primarily a given name, Joachim has also appeared as a surname in some cases.

Notable individuals named Joachim include the French Renaissance poet Joachim du Bellay; the German diplomat Joachim von Ribbentrop; and the German football coach Joachim Löw. The name thus spans religious, literary, political, and athletic contexts, reflecting a long-standing presence in European culture.