Jovanka

Jovanka is a South Slavic feminine given name, a diminutive form of Jovana, itself the Serbian and Macedonian equivalent of Joanna, derived from the Hebrew Yohanan meaning God is gracious. The name traces its roots through Latin Ioanna and Greek Iōanna, sharing its ultimate origin with Joan, Jane, and Jean. It was borne notably by Jovanka Broz, the wife of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito, which brought the name wider international recognition in the twentieth century. Closely related forms include Jovana, Jovan, and the masculine Ivan, all belonging to the same broad family of Johannes-derived names.