Discover and Shortlist Your Perfect Baby Names!

Yannis as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Yannis

Add to my Name List

The baby name Yannis is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced English: /ˈjænɪs/ (YAN-nis); Greek: /ˈʝanis/ (YAH-nees).

Yannis is Greek in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Greek
Pronunciation: English: /ˈjænɪs/ (YAN-nis); Greek: /ˈʝanis/ (YAH-nees)

What is the meaning of the name Yannis ?

The baby name Yannis is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced English: /ˈjænɪs/ (YAN-nis); Greek: /ˈʝanis/ (YAH-nees).

Yannis is Greek in Origin.

Yannis is the modern Greek vernacular form of Ioannis (Ιωάννης), ultimately from the Hebrew Yochanan/Yehochanan, meaning "God is gracious." Emerging as the everyday counterpart to formal Ioannis, it is widely used in Greece and Cyprus and recognized internationally.

The name’s deep roots in Christian tradition, borne by John the Baptist and John the Apostle, along with numerous Orthodox saints, have sustained its popularity; in Greece its name day is celebrated on January 7. Common Greek variants include Yiannis and Giannis; diminutives and Anglicized forms include Yani and Yanni. Cognates across languages are John (English), Jean (French), Juan (Spanish), Giovanni (Italian), Ivan (Slavic), Ian (Scottish), Sean (Irish), Jan (Dutch/Polish), Johannes (German/Scandinavian), János (Hungarian), and João (Portuguese). International visibility has grown through figures like composer Yanni and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo (spelled Giannis).

Yannis has the following similar or variant Names

Yannis – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
Ireland Boys 2025 #1 836
BN 0 #32 1 2,297
GR Boys 0 #45 589 6,912
GR 0 #46 129 3,911
CY 0 #59 2 1,632
LU 0 #64 3 2,830
JP 0 #77 1 4,057
MD Boys 0 #81 1 756
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
CY Boys 0 #116 14 3,473
Switzerland Boys 2024 #122 16 1,769
Belgium Boys 2022 #175 23 401
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
LU Boys 0 #212 9 4,970
BG Boys 0 #219 2 3,850
MO Boys 0 #232 3 5,842
MO Girls 0 #233 19 7,056
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
NA Boys 0 #253 1 6,830
France Boys 2021 #287 103 2,865
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
JM Boys 0 #292 2 6,876
Canada Boys 2024 #300 7 2,588
Canada Girls 2014 #304 5 2,797
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
CN Girls 0 #312 38 8,829
SA 0 #312 1 10,560
CN Boys 0 #327 5 9,639
DK Boys 0 #331 2 7,401
HK 0 #335 14 8,483
QA Girls 0 #343 1 15,378
MY 0 #351 4 12,352
GH Boys 0 #360 2 8,138
MU Boys 0 #366 4 8,477
PT Boys 0 #379 3 7,951
France Girls 2002 #390 3 2,727
PH Girls 0 #429 1 13,098
CL 0 #432 3 6,867
HK Girls 0 #463 153 16,104
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
ZA 0 #474 1 14,421
RU Boys 0 #495 11 12,621
CO 0 #507 4 7,768
CR Boys 0 #508 3 10,188
PA Girls 0 #515 4 9,861
HK Boys 0 #516 12 12,905
RU Girls 0 #523 1 11,913
CM Boys 0 #532 19 12,054
GT Girls 0 #540 2 7,500
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
PS Boys 0 #561 1 10,655
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
CR Girls 0 #567 7 11,342
SG Girls 0 #577 10 18,916
BH 0 #584 4 17,937
IL Boys 0 #624 2 10,983
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
BO Girls 0 #649 3 9,488
IN Girls 0 #654 1 13,121
Finland Boys 2026 #678 5 3,552
LB 0 #688 3 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #696 2 13,071
CL Boys 0 #699 2 13,390
SG Boys 0 #737 3 17,960
QA Boys 0 #741 3 18,093
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
CL Girls 0 #822 30 14,098
Germany Boys 0 #855 98 5,697
TN 0 #858 8 13,765
United States Boys 2024 #865 28 7,044
NL Boys 0 #905 47 5,873
United States Girls 2024 #906 11 8,487
Spain Boys 0 #906 25 5,610
CO Boys 0 #909 12 15,656
OM Boys 0 #914 5 17,948
MY Girls 0 #922 73 24,821
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
PE Boys 0 #924 3 14,506
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
PE Girls 0 #1,003 8 14,861
SA Girls 0 #1,014 1 25,931
CO Girls 0 #1,015 64 16,140
MX Boys 0 #1,030 4 16,355
MA 0 #1,078 51 20,986
DZ 0 #1,119 58 20,130
AE Boys 0 #1,141 3 22,615
MX Girls 0 #1,161 23 17,781
TR 0 #1,201 11 19,440
ZA Boys 0 #1,268 5 25,619
IT Boys 0 #1,425 47 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,688 4 28,008

Yannis is popular in 62 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Belgium
Wallonia, Belgium
Switzerland
United States

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Yannis

Yannis is predominantly a boy's name.
Yannis is a 2 syllable name, pronounced English: /ˈjænɪs/ (YAN-nis); Greek: /ˈʝanis/ (YAH-nees).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Yiannis, Giannis, Ioannis, Iannis, Yanis and Yannīs.
Yes, very popular — Yannis ranked #1 in Ireland in 2025, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Yannis ranks highest in Ireland (#1 in 2025).
Yannis's popularity is declining significantly. It moved from #186 in 2011 to #287 in 2021 in France.