JOANNA WHITE

From the Latin form, Io(h)anna, of Greek Iōanna, the feminine equivalent of Iōannēs (see John). In the New Testament, this name is borne by a woman who was one of Jesus's followers (Luke 8:3; 24:10). She was the wife of the steward of the household of King Herod Antipas. The name was regularly used throughout the Middle Ages in most parts of Europe as a feminine equivalent of John, but in England it has only been in common use as a vernacular given name since the 19th century. Celebrated British bearers of the name include the novelist Joanna Trollope (b. 1943), the actress Joanna Lumley (b. 1946), and the concert pianist Joanna McGregor (b. 1959).

English, Scottish, and Irish: from Middle English whit ‘white’, hence a nickname for someone with white hair or an unnaturally pale complexion. In some cases it represents a Middle English personal name, from an Old English byname, Hwīt(a), of this origin. As a Scottish and Irish surname it has been widely used as a translation of the many Gaelic names based on bán ‘white’ (see Bain 1) or fionn ‘fair’ (see Finn 1). There has also been some confusion with Wight.