Jenna

  • [ JEN-ə (English), YEN-nah (Finnish) ]
  • English, Finnish
Variant of JENNY. Use of the name was popularized in the 1980s by the character Jenna Wade on the television series 'Dallas'.

JENNY   female   English, Swedish, Finnish, German, Dutch, Spanish
Originally a medieval English diminutive of JANE. Since the middle of the 20th century it has been primarily considered a diminutive of JENNIFER.
JANE   female   English
Medieval English form of Jehanne, an Old French feminine form of Iohannes (see JOHN). This became the most common feminine form of John in the 17th century, surpassing Joan.

Famous bearers include the uncrowned English queen Lady Jane Grey (1536-1554), who ruled for only 9 days, the British novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817), who wrote 'Sense and Sensibility' and 'Pride and Prejudice', and the British primatologist Jane Goodall (1934-). This is also the name of the central character in Charlotte Brontë's novel 'Jane Eyre' (1847), which tells of her sad childhood and her relationship with Edward Rochester.
JOHN   male   English, Biblical
English form of Iohannes, the Latin form of the Greek name Ιωαννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "YAHWEH is gracious". The Hebrew form occurs in the Old Testament (spelled Johanan or Jehohanan in the English version), but this name owes its popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who is considered the forerunner of Jesus. He baptized Jesus and was later executed by Herod Antipas. The second is the apostle John, who is traditionally regarded as the author of the fourth gospel and Revelation. With the apostles Peter and James (his brother), he was part of the inner circle of Jesus.

This name was initially more common among Eastern Christians in the Byzantine Empire, but it flourished in Western Europe after the First Crusade. In England it became extremely popular: during the later Middle Ages it was given to approximately a fifth of all English boys.

The name (in various spellings) has been borne by 21 popes and eight Byzantine emperors, as well as rulers of England, France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Bulgaria, Russia and Hungary. It was also borne by the poet John Milton (1608-1674), philosopher John Locke (1632-1704), American founding father and president John Adams (1735-1826), and poet John Keats (1795-1821). Famous bearers of the 20th century include author John Steinbeck (1902-1968), assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), and musician John Lennon (1940-1980).
YAHWEH   male   Theology
A name of the Hebrew God, represented in Hebrew by the tetragrammaton ("four letters") יהוה (Yod Heh Vav Heh), which was transliterated into Roman script as Y H W H. Because it was considered blasphemous to utter the name of God, it was only written and never spoken, which resulted in the original pronunciation becoming lost. The name may have originally been derived from the old Semitic root הוה (hawah) meaning "to be" or "to become".
JENNIFER   female   English, German, Dutch, Swedish, Spanish
From a Cornish form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar (see GUINEVERE). This name has only been common outside of Cornwall since the beginning of the 20th century, after it was featured in George Bernard Shaw's play 'The Doctor's Dilemma' (1906).
GUINEVERE   female   Arthurian Romance
From the Norman French form of the Welsh name Gwenhwyfar, derived from the elements gwen meaning "fair, white" and sebara meaning "phantom, magical being". In Arthurian legend she was the beautiful wife of King Arthur. According to the 12th-century chronicler Geoffrey of Monmouth, she was seduced by Mordred before the battle of Camlann, which led to the deaths of both Mordred and Arthur. According to the 12th-century French poet Chrétien de Troyes, she engaged in an adulterous affair with Sir Lancelot.

The Cornish form of this name, Jennifer, has become popular in the English-speaking world.
FULL FORMS
ENGLISH (BRITISH): Gaynor
ENGLISH: Gwenevere, Jane, Janessa, Janice, Janis, Jayna, Jayne, Jean, Jeana, Jeane, Jeanna, Jeanne, Jenifer, Jennifer, Joan, Joann, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Johna, Johnna, Jonelle, Seanna, Shauna, Shavonne, Shawna, Sheena, Sheenagh, Shena, Shevaun, Shevon
FINNISH: Janina, Johanna
EQUIVALENTS
AFRICAN AMERICAN: Lashawn, Tajuana
ARTHURIAN ROMANCE: Guenevere, Guinevere, Gwenhwyfar
BASQUE: Jone
BIBLICAL GREEK: Ioanna
BIBLICAL LATIN: Iohanna
BIBLICAL: Joanna
BULGARIAN: Ioana, Ivana, Ivanka, Yana, Yanka, Yoana
CATALAN: Jana, Joana
CORNISH: Jenifer
CROATIAN: Ivana, Ivanka, Žana
CZECH: Iva, Ivana, Ivanka, Jana, Janička, Johana
DANISH: Hanna, Hanne, Janne, Jeanette, Johanna, Johanne, Jonna, Vanja
DUTCH: Hanna, Hanne, Hannie, Jana, Janine, Janna, Janneke, Jantine, Jantje, Jeanette, Jeanine, Jeannette, Jennifer, Jennigje, Jenny, Johanna, Johanneke
ENGLISH: Genette, Jan, Janae, Janeka, Janel, Janele, Janella, Janelle, Janene, Janet, Janetta, Janette, Janey, Janie, Janine, Janna, Jannah, Jannette, Jannine, Jaynie, Jeanette, Jeanie, Jeanine, Jeannette, Jeannie, Jeannine, Jen, Jena, Jenae, Jenelle, Jenessa, Jeni, Jenn, Jenna, Jenni, Jennie, Jenny, Jessalyn, Jessi, Jessie, Jessye, Jo, Joanie, Joetta, Joey, Joleen, Jolene, Jonette, Joni, Jonie
ESTONIAN: Johanna
FINNISH: Hanna, Hannele, Janna, Jenna, Jenni, Jenny, Jonna
FRENCH: Guenièvre, Janine, Jeanette, Jeanine, Jeanne, Jeannette, Jeannine, Joanne, Johanne
GALICIAN: Xoana
GERMAN: Hanna, Hanne, Jana, Janina, Janine, Jennifer, Jenny, Johanna
GREEK: Gianna, Ioanna, Nana, Yanna
HUNGARIAN: Hanna, Johanna, Zsanett
ICELANDIC: Jenný, Jóhanna, Jóna
IRISH: Chevonne, Shavonne, Shevaun, Shevon, Síne, Sinéad, Siobhán
ITALIAN: Gianna, Ginevra, Giovanna, Giovannetta, Vanna
LATE ROMAN: Johanna
LITHUANIAN: Janina
MACEDONIAN: Ivana, Jovana, Jovanka, Jovka, Vana
MEDIEVAL FRENCH: Jehanne, Johanne
NORWEGIAN: Hanna, Hanne, Janne, Jeanette, Johanna, Johanne, Vanja
POLISH: Asia, Janina, Joanna, Joasia
PORTUGUESE: Joana, Joaninha
ROMANIAN: Ioana, Ionela, Oana
RUSSIAN: Ivanna, Yana, Zhanna, Zhannochka
SCOTTISH: Jean, Jessie, Seona, Seonag, Seònaid, Sheena, Sheona, Shona, Sìne, Sìneag, Teasag
SERBIAN: Ivana, Ivanka, Jovana, Jovanka
SLOVAK: Iva, Ivana, Ivanka, Jana, Janka
SLOVENE: Iva, Ivana, Ivanka, Jana, Žana
SPANISH (LATIN AMERICAN): Yenifer, Yenny
SPANISH: Jennifer, Jenny, Juana, Juanita
SWEDISH: Hanna, Janina, Janna, Jannicke, Jannike, Jeanette, Jennie, Jennifer, Jenny, Johanna, Jonna, Vanja
UKRAINIAN: Yana
VARIOUS: Genevra
WELSH MYTHOLOGY: Gwenhwyfar
WELSH: Gaenor, Shan, Siân, Siana, Siani, Sioned, Siwan
DIMINUTIVES AND SHORT FORMS
CROATIAN: Nina
CZECH: Ivka, Nina
DANISH: Jannicke, Jannike, Nina
DUTCH: Nina
ENGLISH: Jan, Janna, Jannah, Jojo, Nena, Netta, Nettie, Nina
FINNISH: Nina
FRENCH: Nina, Ninette
GERMAN: Nina
ITALIAN: Gia, Giannina, Nina
NORWEGIAN: Jannicke, Jannike, Nina
POLISH: Nina
SERBIAN: Nina
SLOVAK: Ivka, Nina
SLOVENE: Nina
SWEDISH: Nina
MASCULINE FORMS
AFRICAN AMERICAN: Deshaun, Deshawn, Keshaun, Keshawn, Rashaun, Rashawn
ALBANIAN: Gjon
ARABIC: Yahya, Yuhanna
ARMENIAN: Hovhannes, Hovik, Hovo, Ohannes
BASQUE: Ganix, Ion, Jon
BELARUSIAN: Ivan, Yan
BIBLICAL GREEK: Ioannes
BIBLICAL HEBREW: Yehochanan, Yochanan
BIBLICAL LATIN: Iohannes
BIBLICAL: Jehohanan, Johanan, John
BRETON: Yanick, Yann, Yannic, Yannick
BULGARIAN: Ioan, Ivan, Ivo, Yanko, Yoan
CATALAN: Jan, Joan
CORNISH: Jowan
CORSICAN: Ghjuvan
CROATIAN: Ivan, Ivica, Ivo, Janko, Vanja
CZECH: Honza, Ivan, Jan, Janek
DANISH: Hans, Jan, Jannick, Jannik, Jens, Johan, Johannes, Jon
DUTCH: Hanke, Hanne, Hannes, Hans, Jan, Jo, Johan, Johannes, Joop
ENGLISH: Evan, Hank, Ian, Ivan, Jack, Jackie, Jake, John, Johnie, Johnnie, Johnny, Jon, Sean, Shane, Shaun, Shawn, Shayne, Van
ESPERANTO: Joĉjo, Johano
ESTONIAN: Jaan, Johannes, Juhan
FAROESE: Jóannes, Jóhannes, Jón
FINNISH: Hannes, Hannu, Jani, Janne, Johannes, Joni, Jouni, Juha, Juhana, Juhani, Juho, Jukka, Jussi
FRENCH: Jean, Jeannot, Yanick, Yann, Yannic, Yannick
GALICIAN: Xoán
GEORGIAN: Ioane, Ivane, Vano
GERMAN: Hannes, Hans, Jan, Jo, Johann, Johannes
GREEK: Gianni, Giannis, Ioannis, Yanni, Yannis, Yianni, Yiannis
HAWAIIAN: Keoni
HEBREW: Yochanan
HUNGARIAN: Iván, Jancsi, Jani, Janika, János
ICELANDIC: Jóhann, Jóhannes, Jón
INDONESIAN: Yohanes
IRISH: Eoin, Seán, Sean, Shane
ITALIAN: Gian, Gianni, Giannino, Giovanni, Ivan, Ivano, Nino, Vanni
LATE ROMAN: Joannes, Johannes
LATVIAN: Jānis
LIMBURGISH: Sjang, Sjeng
LITHUANIAN: Jonas
MACEDONIAN: Ivan, Ivo, Jovan
MANX: Ean, Juan
MEDIEVAL ENGLISH: Hankin, Hann, Jackin, Jan, Jankin, Jon
MEDIEVAL FRENCH: Jehan
MEDIEVAL ITALIAN: Zuan
NORWEGIAN: Hans, Jan, Jens, Johan, Johannes, Jon, Jone
OCCITAN: Joan
OLD CHURCH SLAVIC: Ioannu
PERSIAN: Yahya
POLISH: Iwan, Jan, Janek, Janusz
PORTUGUESE: João, Joãozinho
ROMANIAN: Iancu, Ioan, Ion, Ionel, Ionuț, Nelu
RUSSIAN: Ioann, Ivan, Vanya
SAMI: Juhán
SCOTTISH: Eoin, Iain, Ian, Jock, Jockie, Jocky, Seoc
SERBIAN: Ivan, Ivica, Ivo, Janko, Jovan, Vanja
SLOVAK: Ivan, Ján, Janko
SLOVENE: Anže, Ivan, Jan, Janez, Janko, Žan
SPANISH: Iván, Juan, Juanito, Xuan
SWEDISH: Hampus, Hannes, Hans, Hasse, Jan, Janne, Jens, Johan, Johannes, Jon
TURKISH: Yahya
UKRAINIAN: Ivan
WELSH: Evan, Ianto, Iefan, Ieuan, Ifan, Ioan, Iwan, Siôn
OTHER FORMS
ENGLISH: Jackson, Jaxon, Jaxson, Malone, Sinjin, Yancy
THEOLOGY: Yahweh
WELSH: Bevan