Vanja

Vanja is a South Slavic diminutive of Ivan, the Slavic form of the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning God is gracious. It developed as an affectionate short form widely used across the former Yugoslav countries, Scandinavia, and Russia, where it functions as a pet form of Ivan or Ivana and can be given to both males and females. The name gained broader cultural familiarity through Anton Chekhov's play Uncle Vanya, in which the title character's name is the Russian equivalent of this form. Related names include Ivan, Ivana, Vanya, and Jana.