Tianna

Tianna is an alternate spelling of Tiana which is short for Tatiana. Tatiana is a name of early Russian-Christian origin; it was bestowed on baby girls in honor of a 3rd century saint who was martyred in Rome for her Christian beliefs under the pagan Emperor Alexander Severus. Her father had been a Roman civil servant who secretly raised Tatiana with his Christian beliefs and eventually she would become a deaconess in the Church. The Romans captured her and when she refused to pray to their god Apollo, she was blinded and tortured. Miraculously, an earthquake shook the Apollo temple and his statue fell. Unmoved, the Romans then threw her into a lion’s cage during a circus – but again, miraculously, the lions refused to come near her. Finally, she was beheaded. Legends detailing such miraculous events became very common in the Middle Ages and cults grew up around various early saints who died for their faith. The Eastern Orthodox Church (Byzantium Empire) embraced this story more so than the western Roman Catholic Church, which is how Tatiana became particularly popular in Russia, Eastern European and other Slavic nations. The name Tatiana is actually the feminine form of an old Roman family name Tatius, from the Latin “tatianus” of unknown origin. In Roman tradition, Titus Tatius was King of the Sabines in the 8th century B.C. who later co-ruled with Romulus over all the Sabines and Latins (after the establishment of Rome). Therefore, it is commonly believed that Tatiana is ultimately derived from some extinct Sabine word with forgotten meaning. Tatiana is still mainly used in Russia (with the pet form being Tanya) and other Slavic and/or Eastern European nations. English-speakers did not adopt Tatiana until the late 20th century. Tiana is generally thought of as the pet form of Tatiana – although it is sometimes considered a short form of Christiana as well. Tianna with two “n”s is just another way to spell it.