| Giovanni | Lorenzo | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is gracious | From Laurentum |
| Origin | Italian | italian |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | joh-VAH-nee | loh-REN-tsoh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1907 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2010 (3,434) | 2025 (3,065) |
| In 2025 | 2,939 | 3,065 |
| Trend | Steady | Near its peak |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Giovanni | Lorenzo |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 17,879 | 17,011 |
| 2010s | 30,418 | 16,868 |
| 2000s | 24,227 | 10,089 |
| 1990s | 10,931 | 9,157 |
| 1980s | 3,359 | 7,072 |
| 1970s | 1,418 | 5,381 |
| 1960s | 579 | 5,923 |
| 1950s | 153 | 4,911 |
| 1940s | 20 | 2,794 |
| 1930s | 56 | 2,137 |
| 1920s | 135 | 2,161 |
| 1910s | 175 | 1,292 |
| 1900s | 18 | 369 |
| 1890s | 0 | 279 |
| 1880s | 0 | 308 |
Giovanni is the Italian form of John, “God is gracious.”
Italian form of Laurence, from the Roman cognomen Laurentius meaning 'man from Laurentum'. The place name Laurentum is itself usually linked to Latin 'laurus', the laurel tree, so the name carries a secondary association with laurel/the victory wreath.
Lorenzo is more popular than Giovanni today: about 3,065 US babies were given the name Lorenzo in 2025, compared with 2,939 named Giovanni.
Giovanni means God is gracious (Italian origin), while Lorenzo means From Laurentum (italian origin).
In US records, Giovanni first appears in 1907 and Lorenzo in 1880, so Lorenzo has the longer recorded history.