Yoanan

Yoanan is a masculine given name and, less commonly, a surname. It is a variant transliteration of the Hebrew name Yoḥanan, from which the forms Johanan, Yohanan, Yonatan, Jonathan, and Ioannes derive. The traditional meaning is generally rendered as “Yahweh has been gracious” or “God is gracious.”

In linguistic and religious contexts, Yoanan and its variants appear across Jewish, Christian, and Ethiopian Christian traditions. The spelling Yoanan is found in some non-English texts as a direct rendering of the original name, while other languages use their own standard forms. In English-language use, more common variants include Jonathan and Yonatan, with Ioannes or Johannes appearing in Greek and Latin sources.

Biblical and historical usage illustrates the name’s long transmission. Variants such as Johanan appear in the Hebrew Bible and post-exilic writings, including figures who played roles as leaders or priests. In the New Testament and related Greek writings, the corresponding form Ioannes is rendered as John in English. The spread of the name across cultures reflects broader patterns of biblical naming and translation, with each language adapting the form to its phonology and orthography.

Overall, Yoanan is part of a family of closely related names that trace back to a Hebrew root meaning divine graciousness, and it appears in a range of religious, historical, and literary contexts as variants of the same underlying name.