Comments (Usage Only)
It's actually a very common name, one of the most common in Romania for local women who are now in their 30s, but you'd never know because it keeps being put in the same boat as 'Ioana' or it's given as a middle name.
It's also unique to Romania, so it's not Hebrew. It's European and it was used along with Maria and Ana at about the same time that people started calling their kids Miriam and Hannah in Hebrew, as stated below. Which is not to say they're not connected or inspired by Hebrew versions. Europeans today have loads of Jewish heritage.
It's pronounced Wanna (as in "wanna cup'a coffee"), with the last 'a' silent. I'm called Oana, I know plenty of people called Oana, and I've never ever heard anyone pronounce it 'Oh-anna', as some of the comments here claim. With a few exceptions, that is:
- foreigners (I live in the UK, so I'd know)
- this one occasion where someone wanted to insult me by comparing me to a relative and calling me 'o (alta) Ana' - as in 'you're just another Ana'.
Also, in recent years, it's been used by rroma people living in Romania, as seen here: http://www.diacronia.ro/ro/indexing/details/V1413/pdf
Presumably because when they baptized their children, they gave them the godmother's name. This helped them blend in. My mom says that used to happen quite a lot when I was born. Consequently, it's become less popular with the natives.
And yes, it has been given the meaning 'God is merciful', like Ioana, but most Romanian girl's names mean 'God is [something or other]'.
1
It's also unique to Romania, so it's not Hebrew. It's European and it was used along with Maria and Ana at about the same time that people started calling their kids Miriam and Hannah in Hebrew, as stated below. Which is not to say they're not connected or inspired by Hebrew versions. Europeans today have loads of Jewish heritage.
It's pronounced Wanna (as in "wanna cup'a coffee"), with the last 'a' silent. I'm called Oana, I know plenty of people called Oana, and I've never ever heard anyone pronounce it 'Oh-anna', as some of the comments here claim. With a few exceptions, that is:
- foreigners (I live in the UK, so I'd know)
- this one occasion where someone wanted to insult me by comparing me to a relative and calling me 'o (alta) Ana' - as in 'you're just another Ana'.
Also, in recent years, it's been used by rroma people living in Romania, as seen here: http://www.diacronia.ro/ro/indexing/details/V1413/pdf
Presumably because when they baptized their children, they gave them the godmother's name. This helped them blend in. My mom says that used to happen quite a lot when I was born. Consequently, it's become less popular with the natives.
And yes, it has been given the meaning 'God is merciful', like Ioana, but most Romanian girl's names mean 'God is [something or other]'.
1
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Pronunciation: OH-ah-nah
Meaning: Short form of JOHANNA, meaning "God is gracious".
(Information from name #350188 originally submitted by user epresvanilia)