Yanni

Yanni is a Greek given name, a colloquial short form of Ioannis, the Greek equivalent of John, which traces back through Latin Iohannes and Hebrew Yohanan, meaning Yahweh is gracious. It is widely used among Greek diaspora communities and carries the same deep Christian heritage as its full form, owing to figures such as John the Baptist and John the Apostle. The name gained broader international recognition through the Greek-American musician Yanni Chryssomallis, who performs simply as Yanni. Related forms include Giannis, Yannis, and the pan-European John and its many cognates.