Johnese is of American origin, derived from the English name John, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan. It means 'God is gracious' or 'God will be gracious'. The name Johnese was likely created by adding the suffix '-ese' to the popular name John during the 1960s and 1970s.
The name Johnese experienced a period of popularity in the late 20th century, with consistent birth counts between five and six every decade from the 1950s to the 1990s.