Vana

Vana is a name with multiple possible origins. In Sanskrit, it derives from the root meaning forest or wood, carrying associations with nature and the wilderness. In some Slavic and Baltic traditions it appears as a short form of names such as Ivana or Vanya, themselves feminine or diminutive forms of Ivan, the Slavic equivalent of John, ultimately from the Hebrew Yohanan meaning God is gracious. The name also surfaces in Albanian usage, where it functions as an independent given name with a similar shortened-form heritage.