Gianni is the Italian short form of Giovanni — itself the Italian form of John, from Hebrew Yochanan meaning "God is gracious." In Italy it's almost exclusively a boy's name. In America, where Italian names for girls have been enthusiastically adopted — Gianna, Ginevra, Giulia — Gianni for a girl is a gender-crossing choice with real energy. With about 3,264 SSA records and a 2021 peak, Gianni-for-girls is small but growing.
Italian and Hebrew Roots
Giovanni traces to Hebrew Yochanan — "God has been gracious" , one of the most widely distributed names in Western religious tradition. John in English, Jean in French, Juan in Spanish, Gianni in Italian: the same name wearing different national clothes. Italian forms of classic names have been a major force in American naming for two decades; Isabella, Gianna, Lucia, Valentina. Gianni is the masculine short form joining that feminine-Italian naming trend through a gender-crossing move that's consistent with current tastes.
The Versace Association
Gianni Versace; the Italian fashion designer murdered in 1997 , is the name's most famous bearer, and he was emphatically male. The Versace association gives the name a high-fashion Italian identity: glamorous, bold, associated with a very specific aesthetic of luxury and drama. For girls, the name carries that same glamour energy while crossing the gender assumption. Gender-crossing Italian names for girls follow the same logic as Gianna and Gio; the Italian ending sounds beautiful regardless of the gender of its historical bearers.
The Counter-Reading: This Is a Boys' Name in Italy
In Italian-speaking communities and among people who know Italian naming conventions, Gianni for a girl will read as a boys' name given to a girl; not inherently wrong but noticeable. The name will require context in Italian-American social environments. Outside that context, most English speakers will simply hear a beautiful Italian name without attaching any gender assumption. The -i ending, typically masculine in Italian (Gianni, Luca, Nico), reads as gender-neutral to American ears. Compare Gianni and Gianna to see how the masculine and feminine Italian forms track differently in US records.