Joan

Joan is an English feminine name, the medieval contracted form of Old French Johanne, itself derived from Latin Johanna, the feminine equivalent of Johannes. Johannes traces back to the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning God is gracious. The name was borne most famously by Joan of Arc, the fifteenth-century French military leader and saint, which helped cement the name's enduring presence in the English-speaking world. Related forms include Jane, Jean, Joanna, Johanna, and the Catalan and Occitan masculine Joan, which is the regional equivalent of John.