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Joanna and Johanna
by Pie
10/16/2009, 4:42 AM
My mother's name is Joanna. She was named after her grandmother, who was Johanna, pronounced like Joanna (she was Irish - Johanna seems to have been a fairly common name in Victorian Ireland). If you were using it as a middle name, which one would you pick, and which do you prefer?
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Replies

- Anneza
10/18/2009, 11:07 PM
Joanna, any day of the week! But, here in South Africa Johanna is very popular given the Dutch language heritage of the Afrikaans-speakers, so Joanna usefully disambiguates ... just avoid Joann and you'll be fine!
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- Buttons
10/17/2009, 1:37 AM
Johanna
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- Anthroponomastics
10/16/2009, 3:39 PM
Hmm...If it was a first name, I might go for Joanna, however as a middle name I'd go for Johanna. I don't know which one I prefer. They are both really old and beautiful.
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- Shaymin
10/16/2009, 12:53 PM
I prefer Johanna pronounced (yoh-HAHN-nah). I think its far more interesting, while Joanna feels rather worn and dated.
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- brilliantblue
10/16/2009, 11:29 AM
Johanna!Johanna prn. joe-anna by fifty thousand miles. :D I've fallen completely in love with Johanna since seeing Sweeney Todd this summer, and it's so much prettier than Joanna. I think it brings back a lot of antique charm and it seems fresher, even though it's older.
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- Ninor (Frozten)
10/16/2009, 9:10 AM
I prefer Joanna over Johanna any day of the week. Johanna is boring, dull and dated (itwas a very popular name here for like 10-20 years ago). Joanna is classic and nice.And if you want to use the name to honor your mother and grandmother i think you should go with Joann. After all that's your mother's name and that's how your grandmother pronounced her name.
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- Gia (gio2475)
10/16/2009, 8:37 AM
Well, it would depend on the middle name, but if you're going for jo-AN-ah use Joanna. I just don't understand why Johanna would be said that way. (I like Johanna much better the German way.)
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- JHK   +2
10/16/2009, 6:33 AM
I'd pick either Joanna or Johanna depending on how I want it pronounced. Johanna should not be pronounced like Joanna, IMO.
I do prefer Johanna (with the correct pronunciation), but I am obviously biased.

This message was edited 10/16/2009, 6:33 AM

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- Pie   +1
10/16/2009, 8:35 AM
I much prefer the German pronunciation too - you have a nice name. :) But the Joanna/Joe-hannah pronunciation was very common here once, and probably the most usual way of pronouncing the name in English, although I should imagine it's very rare now.
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- JHK
10/16/2009, 9:03 AM
Thank you, I'm very happy with my name :) You're probably right, pronouncing it the German way would be very unusual in an English-speaking country and might be considered weird. My preference of the pronunciation yo-HAHN-nah is likely to be influenced by habit ;)

This message was edited 10/16/2009, 2:03 PM

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- Llewella (penguiny7)
10/16/2009, 5:41 AM
I'd spell it Joanna if you want it to be pronounced Jo-anna. I guess unless you wanted to specifically use the name after your great-grandmother rather than your mother. I'd pronounce Johanna as Jo-Hanna (had a friend by that name). I think I prefer Joanna, but both are pretty names.
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- Just Jonquil
10/16/2009, 5:14 AM
I know a Johanna in Australia; her mother went there as a child refugee from Germany. I think of Johanna as a continental spelling, and would only use Joanna.
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