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Baby names

Find baby name inspiration and advice on the Mumsnet Baby Names forum.

Original poster

Johanna

34 replies

Nereida · 10/06/2014 18:03

I've been thinking about this name recently and I quite like it. How would you pronounce it on first glance? Jo-hannah, Jo-anna, Yo-hah-nah? and what do you think of it? Thanks! Smile

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NoglenTilLykke · 14/06/2014 00:00

It is nice i guess but ... dated. My friend called her baby johanna and people were surprised. To begin with i kept thinking her baby was nicole. ( same era)

OscarWinningActress · 13/06/2014 23:55

Beautiful. Classic but underused. Do it!

Billynomates71 · 13/06/2014 23:50

I am a Johanna and have always loved it, pronounced jo-Hannah , nn Jo, or Jojo.

Great choice !

Sallysnickers · 13/06/2014 23:35

Jo Anna

CointreauVersial · 13/06/2014 23:28

I know a Yo-hannah; her mum is Czech.

Tranquilitybaby · 13/06/2014 23:24

It's pronounced Jo-Hannah. I much prefer Joanna

MyrtleDove · 13/06/2014 22:38

I would assume a Johanna is German/Swiss and so would say Yo-hanna. I prefer Joanna but then I don't mind Jo as a nickname as it makes me think of Jo March.

thegreylady · 13/06/2014 09:39

My Joanna was always Josie to her friends, But when she went to college Joey became the norm and now she is adult it is either Jo or Joanna. I obviously love the name. We thought of the 'h' spelling but as we didn't like it with the 'h' pronounced we left it out.
Theses days you are much less likely to get the Joanne confusion though it was only ever minor and easily corrected.

whotheduckisalice · 12/06/2014 19:37

I love the name Johanna spelled like that. There was one on my road growing up. Pronounced Joanna nickname Jo. I have a friend called Josie and that is short for Josephine which is a lovely name. You can call her what you like as a nickname. You could just call her Josie also!

rachel234 · 12/06/2014 13:18

Very popular in Germany, pronounced Yo-HANNA. Lovely name!

EmpireBiscuit · 12/06/2014 12:59

My friend is yo-hannah. She is Swedish.

calculatorsatdawn · 12/06/2014 12:58

I have a friend Johanna and she is a Yo-hanna, but her dad is German.

WolfMoon · 12/06/2014 12:17

I love it! The dreadful daughter in Sweeney Todd is called Johanna, that is literally the only negative connotation I can think of for it. There's an utterly gorgeous Finnish singer called Johanna Kurkela, who is probably who I would associate the name with. Lovely name.

BabySalt · 11/06/2014 12:48

This is my mums name and pronounced Jo-hanna. She likes it but always have to spell it out to people and to explain it which can be annoying. Most people know her as Jo and think her name is Joanna though.

JugglingFromHereToThere · 11/06/2014 09:08

I think a Johanna was the author of "Heidi" and
there's also a great "Jo" in Little Women.
I'd not heard of the Dylan song before - I'll have to look out for that.
And yes, I like Johanna, but personally I wouldn't pronounce the h - unless I heard it introduced that way of course Smile

MumOfTheMoos · 11/06/2014 09:01

Jo-Hanna

It's my name and I've always loved it. You can have all sorts of nicknames - my family nickname is JoJo.

I'm called Jo at work, but that's because I'm in my forties and it was a habit picked up 20 years ago and Johanna at university.

I also answer to Josephine, Jodie and all sorts!

I have always loved having a name that is slightly different and I think that had also had an impact on how I feel about myself and my self esteem.

TheWoollybacksWife · 10/06/2014 22:15

Among other names I call my Joanna "Josie-Jo" so why shouldn't Josie be your choice of nickname.

All her friends call her Jo though.

DramaAlpaca · 10/06/2014 21:11

I know a couple of them, both Irish, and both pronounce it Jo-hanna. I think it's gorgeous.

I'm sure Josie would work as a nickname. The teenage Johanna I know is often called Hanna.

SwedishEdith · 10/06/2014 21:08

Yes,yes,yes to the Dylan song - good enough reason to use the name I think

Original poster
Nereida · 10/06/2014 21:04

Thanks for the comments, I do really like Joanna as well. Do you think Josie would be ok as a nickname for Joanna or is it too far-fetched? I'm not keen on just Jo.

OP posts:
MagpieMama · 10/06/2014 19:19

I like it. I'd pronounce it Jo-Hannah. Not heard it before, lovely though.

wightjellybaby · 10/06/2014 18:51

I have a cousin called johanna we say jo-hanna

TryingToBePractical · 10/06/2014 18:46

i know one (German dad) pronounced Yo-Hanna. Often shortened to Hanna. But when I first saw it written down I assumed it was Joanna (forgetting that the dad is german - the mum is a work colleague).

devoncreamtea · 10/06/2014 18:44

I have a lovely friend called Johanna - pronounced Jo-anna. Lovely name.

TinklyLittleLaugh · 10/06/2014 18:42

Visions of Johanna is a great song. People will assume you're a Dylan fan.

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