John (name)

John is a common English male's name. It is pronounced identically as the etymologically distinct name Jon, which is frequently treated as a variant spelling of John.

John was for a long time the most popular name in the United States. John is also referenced in a "Dear John letter", meaning a breakup letter written by a woman to her soon-to-be-former boyfriend.

John

meaning "The LORD is merciful."

The name John derives through Jewish and Christian tradition ultimately from the Biblical Hebrew name יוחנן Yôḥānān, short for יהוחנן Yəhôḥānān. In Christendom, feminine forms of this name have developed as well, reaching English in the primary forms Jan, Jane, Jean and Joan, and diminutized as Janet.

Interestingly, the name has come full circle, entering Israeli Hebrew as the name שון Shon, which derives from English Shawn, which derives from Irish Seán, which derives from French Jean, which derives from Latin Johann, a simplification of Johannes, which derives from Greek Ιωαννης, Iōhannēs, which was loaned from Mishnaic Hebrew יוחנן Yôḥānān during the Second Temple Period, after John the Apostle and John the Revelator. Originally popularized in non-Jewish society as a Christian name, it has become a fashionable name in various forms in both Christendom and the Islamic World, with widespread secular use.

Jon / Jonathan

meaning: "Whom the LORD gave."

The name Jon is short for Jonathan, and derives from Biblical Hebrew יונתן Yônāṯān, short for יהונתן Yəhônāṯān. It is the inversion of נתניהו Nəṯanyāhû meaning "Gift of the LORD." This name is almost nonexistent in English, but the variant מתניהו Mattanyāhû spawned the hypocoristic (familiar) form מתי Mattay, which evolved independently in Christendom to become English Matthew.

In English, pet forms of John and Jon have developed, including Johnny and Jonny.

Evolution of the name John

• Biblical Hebrew יהוחנן Yəhôḥānān
  • Biblical Hebrew יוחנן Yôḥānān
    • Arabic يحيى (Yaḥyā)
      • Turkish Yahya
    • KJV Old Testament English Johanan
    • Septuagint Greek Ιωαννης (Ioannis), Iōhannēs, Iōannēs, female Ιωαννα (Ioanna)
      • Modern Greek Γιαννης (Yannis), Γιαννη (Yanni), Γιαννος (Yannos), diminutive Γιαννακης (Yannakis), female Γιαννα (Yanna), female diminutive Γιαννουλα (Yannoula)
        • Bulgarian Яни, Янко (Yani, Yanko), female Яна, Яница (Yana, Yanitsa)
      • Latin Ioannes, Joannes, feminine Ioanna, Joanna
        • Albanian Gjon
        • Catalan Joan, diminutive Jan, feminine Joana
        • Galician Xoán
        • Germanic Johannes, Johann, Joann, feminine Johanna, Joanna
          • Czech/Polish Jan
            • Polish diminutive Janusz
          • Danish/Dutch/Swedish Jan
          • English John, diminutive Johnny, Jack, Jacky
          • French Jean, feminine Jeanne, feminine diminutive Jeannette
            • English feminine Jan, Jane, Joan, Jean, feminine diminutive Janet
            • Irish Seán, feminine diminutive Sinéad
              • English Shawn
                • Israeli Hebrew שון (Shon)
          • German Jan, Johann, Johannes, feminine Johanna
          • Germanic diminutive Hans
          • Hungarian/Slovak Ján
            • Hungarian János , diminutives: Jani, Jancsi or by suffixing any of the previous with ka (i.e. Janika)
          • Icelandic Jón
          • Lithuanian Janis
          • Irish Eóin
            • Scots Gaelic Ián, Iáin
          • Romanian Iancu, Ioan, Ion, diminuitves: Nelu, Ionel, Ionica
          • Slovenian Janez
        • Italian Giovanni, Gianni, Gian, feminine Giovanna, Gianna
          • Irish feminine Siobhán
        • Japanese ヨハネ (Yohane)
        • Mandarin Chinese Yuehan
        • Taiwanese Iok-hān (Protestant), Jio̍k-bōng (Catholic)
        • Portuguese João, feminine Joana
        • Spanish Juan, feminine Juana, diminutive feminine Juanita
        • Welsh Ieuan, Evan, Jone, Shone
      • Old Slavonic Ιωан (Ioan), feminine Ioana
        • Bulgarian Йоан (Yoan), feminine Йоана (Yoana)
        • Bulgarian Иван (Ivan), feminine Ивана (Ivana)
        • Russian Иван (Ivan), diminutive Ваня (Vanya), feminine Ивана (Ivana) (rare)
          • English/Spanish Ivan,
          • Spanish (Family name, Son of John/Ivan)Ibañez
          • English Ewan, Evans(family name)
        • Croatian/Slovak Ivan, feminine Ivana
        • Polish Jan, feminine Janina, Joanna
        • Romanian Ion, Ioan, diminutive Ionel, Ionuţ, Nelu, Ionică feminine Ioana, diminutive Oana
        • Serbian Jovan, feminine Jovana
        • Ukrainian Іван (Ivan), diminutive Івась (Ivas'), Івасик, (Ivasyk), feminine Іванна (Ivanna)
    • Standard Hebrew Yoḥanan
      • Israeli Hebrew Yochanancs:Jan

de:Johannes fr:Jean el:Ιωάννης (όνομα) eo:Johano es:Juan it:Giovanni ja:ヨハネ nl:Johannes pl:Jan ru:Иван sl:Johan sv:John