Contribute your knowledge to the name Joan

Comments and insights on the name Joan

Can also be pronounced like "jo-ann". (This seems to have been a 1920's thing.)

Personal experiences with the name Joan

I was named Joan in 1983, and have only met one other Joan my age. People call me Joni more often than Joan. It's nice to have a unique name. I've always liked that I had the same name as a brave, strong and spiritual woman--Joan of Ark. Sometimes it's mispronounced "JoAnne," but rarely. I would call it a smart, strong and spiritual name, with a good meaning as well.

My cousin named Joan is in her late 30s but goes by Joanne because she thinks Joan sounds too old lady-ish.

Joan was a classy name in the 50's, but not so cool today.

My mom's name is Joan. Which is ok, but she later married my stepdad whose last name is Stone. Thus: Joan Stone!

Nicknames for Joan

Joanie, Jo

Meanings and history of the name Joan

Feminine form of John

Famous real-life people named Joan

Joan of Arc, 15th-century military leader (Fr. Jeanne d'Arc)
Joan Armatrading, British singer
Joan Baez, American singer
Joan Collins, English actress
Joan Crawford, American actress
Joan Fontaine, British-American actress
Joan Cusack, American actress
Joan Allen, American actress
Joan Rice, British actress
Joan Plowright, English actress
Joan Van Ark, American actress
Joan Severance, American actress
Joan Osborne, American blues singer
Joan Jett, American rock/punk singer
Joan Sutherland, American opera singer
Joan Bakewell, English journalist and TV presenter
Joni Mitchell (born Roberta Joan Anderson), Canadian folk singer
Joan Rivers, American actress/comedienne

Joan in song, story & screen

Joan Holloway, office manager in the AMC series "Mad Men"
Joan of Arcadia, US TV series
"Pope Joan" movie based on the legend of the rumoured female pope
‘The Boys Light Up’ by Australian Crawl