Jovka

Jovka is a Macedonian feminine given name derived from the South Slavic root Jov, itself a form of the Hebrew name Iyyov (Job), meaning something along the lines of persecuted or hated, though traditionally interpreted as a name of patient endurance through the biblical figure of Job. The name functions as a diminutive or pet form within the Macedonian naming tradition, built with the common Slavic suffix -ka. Related forms include Jova and the masculine Jovan, the South Slavic equivalent of John, with which it shares close phonetic and cultural ties.