| Naomi | Joanna | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | pleasantness | God is gracious |
| Origin | hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | nay-OH-mee | joh-AN-uh |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2025 (4,644) | 1984 (3,332) |
| In 2025 | 4,644 | 997 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Naomi | Joanna |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 26,665 | 6,139 |
| 2010s | 36,194 | 11,409 |
| 2000s | 23,763 | 12,970 |
| 1990s | 12,910 | 16,287 |
| 1980s | 10,864 | 22,216 |
| 1970s | 8,426 | 15,281 |
| 1960s | 6,161 | 9,196 |
| 1950s | 7,495 | 5,151 |
| 1940s | 8,951 | 4,709 |
| 1930s | 13,500 | 3,914 |
| 1920s | 18,184 | 2,233 |
| 1910s | 12,031 | 1,186 |
| 1900s | 3,700 | 391 |
| 1890s | 2,074 | 389 |
| 1880s | 629 | 290 |
From Hebrew No'omi, 'my pleasantness, pleasant' (root n-'-m, 'to be pleasant, agreeable'). In Ruth 1:20 Naomi asks instead to be called Mara, 'bitter' — a deliberate biblical contrast that turns on the name's meaning.
From Greek Ioanna, the feminine of Ioannes (John), ultimately from Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'Yahweh is gracious.' A New Testament name and a John-root grace name.
Naomi is more popular than Joanna today: about 4,644 US babies were given the name Naomi in 2025, compared with 997 named Joanna.
Naomi means pleasantness (hebrew origin), while Joanna means God is gracious (hebrew origin).
In US records, Naomi first appears in 1880 and Joanna in 1880, so Naomi has the longer recorded history.