Gianna or Giovanna?

raisingalittleone1 · 2023-06-24T19:41:23+00:00

Please help me choose between these two names!

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Brightandshining · 25/06/2023 14:01

Gianna is lovely

JustMaggie · 25/06/2023 13:53

I like them both, but maybe Giovanna a little bit more :)

FayCarew · 25/06/2023 13:45

Neither. They seem dated. Maybe like Jean and Janet here.
People will say Gee-arna and Gee-ovarna despite the double N.
My friend is Giulia and people often misspell it as Julia or Gulia or Guilia.

sevenbyseven · 25/06/2023 10:28

continentallentil · 25/06/2023 08:03

Her husband is Italian - so she doesn’t need you to tell her what Italians think of the name. She’s asking for a uk perspective.

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That's assuming he grew up in Italy of course, which he may not have. My husband is of a different nationality but grew up in England.

continentallentil · 25/06/2023 08:03

So1invictus · 25/06/2023 07:51

50% of the child's family possibly is and presumably her Italian husband will want to introduce the child to them (and their heritage)

It's also not irrelevant. There are thousands of threads on MN where posters ask about names and others give opinions.

You've obviously missed the bit where I say "there's nothing wrong with it" (and there isn't) but the OP needs to know the things that we've pointed out. Brits will mangle it, Italians will find it an odd choice.

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Her husband is Italian - so she doesn’t need you to tell her what Italians think of the name. She’s asking for a uk perspective.

howrudeforme · 25/06/2023 08:01

Giovanna is a lovely name.

countries mix up their names - I’ve met quite a few Walters in Italy 😀.

Only thing is that Anglo speakers often don’t pronounce it correctly (having been married to a Giovanni).

Moonlightsonatas · 25/06/2023 07:54

There is a Gianna in my DD’s nursery, I think it’s a sweet name.

So1invictus · 25/06/2023 07:51

continentallentil · 25/06/2023 00:36

The OP isn’t in Italy, so this is seriously irrelevant.

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50% of the child's family possibly is and presumably her Italian husband will want to introduce the child to them (and their heritage)

It's also not irrelevant. There are thousands of threads on MN where posters ask about names and others give opinions.

You've obviously missed the bit where I say "there's nothing wrong with it" (and there isn't) but the OP needs to know the things that we've pointed out. Brits will mangle it, Italians will find it an odd choice.

Whichwhatnow · 25/06/2023 06:28

I had a friend with Italian heritage called Giovanna, nicknamed G (just G - she grew up in the UK and it was a school nickname rather than one given by her parents!). I always thought her name was very pretty.

I've also come across two Giannas at work, both were in their 60s. So for me that's an old fashioned name. I also think Giovanna is just prettier.

ElmTree22 · 25/06/2023 06:18

underneaththeash · 24/06/2023 21:19

Neither if you’re not Italian.

Only on MN 🙄

sevenbyseven · 25/06/2023 06:13

DD has a french name that is popular in England (similar to Isabelle). Someone French told me it's very old-fashioned in France, but it doesn't matter to me as we don't live there. So I don't personally think it particularly matters if the Italian name you choose sounds old-fashioned in Italy.

SideWonder · 25/06/2023 06:08

Either is nice, as long as you pronounce them properly. Not “Jee -Anna” or “Jee- oh- vanna”

But I’d heed the advice of the PPs here who know the Italian context.

sevenbyseven · 25/06/2023 06:04

I love the name Mavis <misses the point>

I agree most people in the UK will mispronounce those two names - they'll tend to say "Jee-oh'" rather than "Jo". Depends whether that bothers you or your DH.

Dazedandbemused0 · 25/06/2023 05:52

underneaththeash · 24/06/2023 21:26

Those are particularly Italian.

your child WILL get asked whose heritage the name comes from.

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No, they won’t. Unless the person is very rude and ignorant, in which case they’d probably ask about any name. It’s very rude to interrogate someone about their heritage based on their name!

CastleTower · 25/06/2023 02:03

Giovanna. Really nice, OP.

Surely it's more like calling a baby Joan? Classic regal/saints name but might make some people think it's grandma's/great-grandma's name? I know two babies called Joan, so why not Giovanna.

snygghygge · 25/06/2023 01:49

In Italy, it is usually Giovanna nicknamed Gianna. However, there are so many much nicer Italian names

salamithumbs · 25/06/2023 00:57

I prefer Giovanna of the two, and think Ginevra and Gabriella are nicer again!

continentallentil · 25/06/2023 00:36

So1invictus · 24/06/2023 21:20

You do know it's seriously old-fashioned in Italy? It really is only used these days in honour of grandmothers?
There's nothing wrong with it, it would just surprise any Italians that it had been chosen as anything other than an obligation to honour gran.
Kind of the equivalent of calling a baby Mavis or Doreen or something.

If you're going to use it though use Giovanna which rings slightly less old fashioned than Gianna. I know of only one of each. Giovanna is one of my students and is 16 and named after her gran, while Gianna is a retired Latin teacher.

The OP isn’t in Italy, so this is seriously irrelevant.

midsomermurderess · 24/06/2023 22:06

Fivebeanchilli · 24/06/2023 21:13

I prefer Giovanna.
Gianna feels too much like Liana, Deanna, Breanna etc.

Apart from it not being pronounced similarly to those other names. Its more like Janna.

whatausername · 24/06/2023 22:03

I actually only like them when they are mispronounced 😂 Giovanna from the options given.

geoger · 24/06/2023 22:03

I like Gabriella too (and Giulietta and Giovanella)
Even if some people say these names are old fashioned they still sound lovely

geoger · 24/06/2023 22:00

I really don’t think people would pronounce either name wrong (I can see them having trouble with Giacinta for example)
OP are these family names?

RosaSkye · 24/06/2023 21:56

Giovanna would be my vote, it’s lovely.

I think Gabriella is stunning if it’s an option?

Meredusoleil · 24/06/2023 21:47

Can you have Giovanna nn Gianna? A bit like Giovanni nn Giani? Or are they always considered completely different names?

AlbertaWildRose · 24/06/2023 21:47

I think both names are pretty, but if you are going to use Italian names you have to pronounce them correctly. Gianna is pronounced like 'Janna' , two syllables, NOT 'Gee-anna' , while Giovanna is pronounced like 'Jovanna' , not 'Gee-o-vanna' . I think they would be mispronounced constantly, like how some people used to think Siobhan was 'See-ob-han' before it became popular.