Giovanni
Meaning of Giovanni
Giovanni is the Italian form of John. It comes from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "God is gracious," by way of Greek Ioannes and Latin Iohannes. The Italian pronunciation is joh-VAH-nee, and the name is often shortened to Gio.
In Italian, Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Apostle are both called San Giovanni. Famous bearers include the 16th-century explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, for whom New York's Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge is named, and the 17th-century astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini, who discovered four of Saturn's moons.
In the U.S., Giovanni climbed from 612th place in 1980 to its highest rank, 117th, in 2010 and 2011. It has held fairly steady since, ranking 123rd in 2025, when 2,939 boys were given the name.
Pronunciation
Italian
- Pronunced as joh-VAH-nee (/dʒoˈvanni/)
U.S. Popularity Chart
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Notable People Named Giovanni
| Giovanni Trapattoni is an Italian former defensive midfielder and manager who won two Serie A titles and two European Cups with Milan, earned 17 Italy caps, played at the 1962 World Cup, and is considered the most successful club coach in Italian football. |
| Don Giovanni Remo Fornasini was an Italian Catholic priest and resistance member from Bologna who was killed by a Nazi SS soldier, later awarded Italy's Gold Medal of Military Valour, and beatified in 2021. |
| Giovanni Alejandro Reyna is an American professional soccer player, an attacking midfielder and winger for Borussia Monchengladbach and the United States national team. |
| Giovanni da Verrazzano was an Italian explorer from Florence who, serving King Francis I of France, led voyages including his famed expedition to North America. |
| Giovanni Domenico Cassini was an Italian French astronomer and engineer who discovered four moons of Saturn, identified the ring division that bears his name, began mapping France, and created the first scientific map of the Moon. |
| Giovanni Gabrieli was an Italian composer and organist who helped shape the Venetian School and bridge the Renaissance to the Baroque. |
| Giovanni Pascoli was a leading late 19th century Italian poet and classical scholar, often ranked with Gabriele D Annunzio among the foremost Decadent writers. |
| Giovanni Battista Viotti was an acclaimed Italian violinist and composer of lyrical violin music who directed opera in Paris and London and knew Haydn and Beethoven. |
| Giovanni Battista Martini, known as Padre Martini, was an Italian Franciscan friar, composer and music historian who mentored Mozart. |
| Giovanni Pisano, an influential Italian sculptor, painter, and architect, is best known for his work in Pisa, Siena, and Pistoia, which reflects the influence of French Gothic and Ancient Roman art. |
