Origin, Meaning, And History Of John
John is a traditional boy’s name of Hebrew origin that means ‘God is gracious.’ The name John first appears in the Old Testament in its Hebrew form. The Greek-language New Testament better translated the Hebrew name Yohanan as Ioannes, later Johannes in Late Latin, and finally John in English.
The name’s widespread popularity is primarily owed to two significant figures in the New Testament, both highly revered saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic recognized as the precursor to Jesus. He performed the baptism of Jesus and was later killed by Herod Antipas. The second is the apostle John, traditionally believed to be the author of the fourth gospel and the Book of Revelation. As one of the inner circle disciples, along with Peter and James (his brother), John held a special position in relation to Jesus.
Initially, this name was more commonly used among Eastern Christians in the Byzantine Empire. However, its popularity expanded throughout Western Europe after the First Crusade. In England, it became exceedingly popular, often ranking as the most common male name from the 13th to the 20th century, occasionally surpassed by William. During the later Middle Ages, approximately one-fifth of all English boys were given this name. It remained the most common name for boys in the United States until 1923.
The phonetic spelling of the name is JON or J(ohn). John has interesting variants in different languages, such as Jean in French, Ivan in Russian, Juan in Spanish, Jan in Dutch, and Giovanni in Italian. Some feminine variants of John include Jane, Janet, Jeanne, Jacqueline, Jana, and Jackie. Adorable nicknames for John include Jimmy, JoJo, Jack, Jimbo, and Joe.
In addition to being a common choice for baby names, John has long been worn by several notable personalities. Among them are John Balliol, who ruled Scotland from 1292 to 1296, John Adams, the United States’ second president from 1797 to 1801, and John Michael Turturro, an American actor and director best known for his work on the Transformers and The Batman movie franchises.
John has been a very popular name in the US and is used in pop culture to name multiple fictional characters. Some include John as John Hamish Watson, a character from the mystery TV series Sherlock Holmes; John Reese from the American drama series Person of Interest; John Bennett, a character from the series Alphas and John Bender from the comedy film The Breakfast Club.
John
Boy
Christianity
Hebrew
2
One
1 word, 4 letters, 1 vowel, 3 consonants
Short and easy to pronounce
How To Pronounce John?
The way you pronounce a name can make all the difference.
Listen to the sound of the name John in English.
Famous People With The Name John
- John BoozmanAmerican politician and former optometrist serving as the senior United States senator.
- John Lee CarrollMember of the United States Democratic Party and the 37th Governor of Maryland from 1876 to 1880.
- John AmplasAmerican actor, best known for his roles in films like Dawn of the Dead and Creepshow.
- John AsherAmerican actor and film director,known for his role in series Weird Science
- John AylwardAmerican actor , known for his role in NBC television series The West Wing
- John CondroneAmerican professional wrestler and singer-songwriter
- John CameronNew Zealand cricketer, played one first-class match for Otago in 1917/18.
John On The Popularity Chart
John was a popular baby name in the early 2000s. However, its popularity gradually declined. Refer to the graphs below for a detailed overview.
Popularity Over Time
From 20,108 babies named John in 2000, only 8,130 babies received the name in 2021. Take a look at the graph below to know how the name fared during these years.
Source: Social Security AdministrationRank Over Time
John’s ranking was best in the year 1983 when it was ranked at 12,079. Refer to the graph below for better insight.
Source: Social Security AdministrationNames With Similar Sound As John
Did John’s sound appeal to you? Here are some more similar-sounding names that you can explore.
Popular Sibling Names For John
If you are looking for some matching sibling names that resonate with John, check our suggestions here.
Boy Sibling Names For John
Find matching brother names for John and create a wonderful team of siblings.
JanJanek Jani Janic Janie Janis Janko Jannes Jannic Jannik Girl Sibling Names For John
Looking for some suitable sister names for John? Check out our collection of beautiful and unique names.
JanaJanada Janah Janalee Janaliz Janata Janay Janeah Janean Janee Other Popular Names Beginning With J
Looking for more baby names starting with the letter J to resonate with your family’s naming tradition or to rhyme with the sibling names? Find a range of alternative names starting with this letter.
Names With Similar Meaning As John
Are you looking for more names that mean as lovely as John? Below are some suggestions to consider.
Infographic: Know The Name John‘s Personality As Per Numerology
Illustration: Momjunction Design Team
Get high-quality PDF version by clicking below.
Download Infographic
How To Communicate The Name John In Other Languages
In Nautical Flags
john
In Sign Language
john
In Braille Alphabet
john
In Morse Code
john
Name Numerology For John
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the meaning of the name John?
The name John means ‘God is gracious.’
2. What is the origin of the name John?
John has a Hebrew origin.
3. How to pronounce the name John?
John is pronounced as ‘jon.’
4. Is John short for Jonathan?
No, John cannot be considered short for Jonathan, as these are two different names, even though they sound similar. John derives from the Hebrew name Yochanan, while Jonathan derives from the Hebrew Yehonatan.
5. Does the name John have a good rank in terms of popularity?
Most recently, the name John was ranked 26th in the US as per the Social Security Administration data (1).
6. Is John a unisex name?
John, as a first name John is a masculine name. It cannot be used for a girl.
References:
- Popularity of name John.
https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/
Look Up For Many More Names
Do you have a name in mind and want to know more about it? Or want to find names belonging to a particular origin, religion, or having a specific meaning? Use our search tool below to explore more baby names with different combinations.
