Jehane - is this too weird? Is Johanna better?

[MiniPenguinMaker]

I have suddenly fallen in love with the name Johanna, but I prefer a version that I think is old French - Jehane. I can't remember where I've heard or seen it but I think it's very beautiful.

But... is Jehane too odd? Would it be difficult for people to pronounce? How would you assume it was pronounced if you saw it written down? Is Johanna better? (I don't like Joanna etc - I really like that h in the in the middle for some reason).

I like Johanna. Jehane is a bit weird IMO- I'd pronounce it Juh-HAYN.

Johanna is lovely. It is my middle name. If you like the French side of it why don't you consider Jean?

I would assume "Jeh-hayn". I wouldn't recognise it as French from the written word.

Beautiful, very cool.

Bob Dylan song, visions of Johanna.

Johanna is beautiful.

Johanna is timeless & lovely.

It looks made up.

Johanna is lovely.

I'd guess Jey-Han.

I think Johanna would definitely be easier for English people to pronounce. And it's a pretty name.

I know someone called Jehane!! She's Indonesian, and we pronounce it "Je-ha-nee".

I like Jehane but I know it IYSWIM.

Jeanne? Same nice pronunciation but easier spelling.

I know someone called Jehane pronounced Jane. I think it's lovely.

Jeanne (Zhee-ann) is lovely, I would assume Jehane is meant to be pronounced similarly. If so I prefer the first spelling, I think it's more instinctive for modern English speakers.

Jane and Joan are also lovely.

I love them both. Jehane is the spelling used for Joan of Arc in old documents iirc.

I'd pronounce it ja-hana. Both are lovely.

So pronunciation-wise so far we have:

Juh-HAYN/Jeh-hayn
Jey-Han
Jean/Jane
Je-ha-nee
Zhee-ann
ja-hana
And exactly the same as Johanna, which is what I think you were after.

I don't think this one is a winner, OP.

If you read The Abby Girl books the name crops up in them. It's pronounced Zjee HAN according to the lovely Jehane I met and is apparantly a traditional Hebrew name.

I like it by the way

I thought it was either Zhee-Ann, emphasis on the -ann, or Zhee-Han, I haven't heard it spoken aloud.

I knew a Jeanne, she herself told me she was Jean, I was quite surprised when I saw her name written down.

It would be a dull world if we only ever used names that are spelled as they are spoken. if you think it's a faff to have to explain, then stick with something more straightforward.

The Johanna/johannahs I know pronounce it 'Joanna', no h sound...p

How are you pronouncing both?

I've know Johannas pronounced Jo-hanna and Yo- hanna.

I'm afraid I would instinctively pronounce Jehane as Djuh-hayne which is not very pretty and the spelling doesn't look French as much as middle eastern to me.

Johanna pronounced with the H brings up images of Apartheid to me but would undoubtedly be pronounced without the H by most people.

I agree for a name that sounds as pretty as it looks Jeanne is lovely - I would pronounce it Zhee-ann.

Yo-hanna as in the author of "Heidi".

Is it pronounced "Ju-hayn" ? I would assume you have a heritage with a language other than English, and ask about it.
With Johanna, Is the plan to pronounce it like Joanna or "Jo - Hannah" ?
I think it would be very irritating for the next 90 yrs of your dds life to have to be constantly correcting people's spelling, if it's Joanna.

Isn't there a Jehane in "Wolf Hall"?