John Meaning

The meaning of John is "G-d is gracious".

John is generally used as a boy's name.

It consists of 4 letters and 1 syllable and is pronounced John.

The name John itself is the English form of the Latin name Iohannes which in turn is derived from the New Testament Greek name Ioannes. The name Ioannes is a form of the Hebrew name Yochanan (יוֹחָנָן).

The name John is derived from the Hebrew elements yo an abbreviated form for the Name of the Lord and chanan meaning "grace or favor".

In the New Testament, John is the name of two characters, John the Baptist and the apostle John.

The name John has been borne by numerous popes and is frequently used by the royal families of Europe.

John falls into the classic name category.

Some famous bearers of this name include: Dr. John Watson, and John 'Black Jack' Stewart.

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In contrast, the year before it ranked 27 in baby name popularity for boys with 9,486 occurrences. It ranked 10,269 in baby name popularity for girls with 10 occurrences.

The trend's your friend. See how John has changed in popularity since 1880 by visiting the John Name Popularity Page.

Variants of the name John include Johnn.

The names Aiyven, Eaen, Ean, Eayon, Eean, Eoin, Eoin-Baiste, Ganix, Ghjuvan, Gian, Giancarlo, Gjon, Iahn, Iain, Ian, Iann, Ioan, Ioann, Ion, Ivan, Jane, Janez, Jankia, Jannes, Janneth, Jannick, Janos, Jansen, Janusz, Jehan, Jens, Jionni, Joanes, Johan, Johann, Johanna, Johannah, Johanne, Johanneke, Johannes, Johano, Johna, Johnella, Johnelle, Johnese, Johnesia, Johnetta, Johnette, Johni, Johnica, Johnna, Johnneta, Johnni, Jonee, Jouni, Jovan, Juan, Juha, Juhan, Juhana, Juhani, Juho, Jukka, Jussi, Keona, Keone, Keoni, Sean, Siobhan, Xoan, Yiannis are all forms of John.

John has the diminutives (nicknames) Jack, Johhny, Johnay, Johnie, Johnnie, Johnny, Johnnye, Johny, Jonny.

• Dr. John Watson ~ A Study in Scarlet character
• John ~ Saint, English King (1199-1216), Biblical Character (Acts 4:6, John 21:5, Matt. 4:21/Mark 3:17), Pope (1410-1415), Pope (997-998)
• John 'Black Jack' Stewart ~ Ice Hockey Player
• John 'Cat' Thompson ~ Basketball Player
• John 'Dizzy' Gillespie ~ Jazz Musician
• John 'Honey' Russell ~ Basketball Player
• John 'Paddy' Driscoll ~ Football Player
• John A. Macdonald ~ Canadian Prime Minister (1867-1873; 1878-1891)
• John Abbott ~ Canadian Prime Minister (1891-1892)
• John Adams ~ U. S. President (1797-1801), Saint
• John Almond ~ Saint
• John Amias ~ Saint
• John Angeloptes ~ Saint
• John Aniston ~ Actor
• John Baldessari ~ Artist
• John Balliol ~ Scottish King (1292-1296)
• John Baptist Chon Chang un ~ Saint
• John Baptist Con ~ Saint
• John Baptist Luo Tingying ~ Saint
• John Baptist Nam Chong Sam ~ Saint
• John Baptist Thanh ~ Saint
• John Baptist Zola ~ Saint
• John Bardeen ~ Nobel Prize for Physics 1956, Nobel Prize for Physics 1972
• John Barry ~ Musician
• John Beche ~ Saint
• John Beckman ~ Basketball Player
• John Belushi ~ Actor
• John Bodey ~ Saint
• John Bosman ~ Soccer Player
• John Boste ~ Saint
• John Boyd Orr ~ Nobel Prize for Peace 1949
• John Boyega ~ Actor
• John Bradley ~ Actor
• John Brooke ~ Little Women character
• John Browdie ~ Nicholas Nickleby character
• John Browning ~ Scientist
• John Buoni ~ Saint
• John C. Mather ~ Nobel Prize for Physics 2006
• John C. McGinley ~ Actor
• John C. Reilly ~ Actor
• John Cacciafronte ~ Saint
• John Cage ~ Musician
• John Calybites ~ Saint
• John Camillus the Good ~ Saint
• John Candy ~ Actor
• John Carey ~ Saint
• John Carpenter ~ Musician
• John Carradine ~ Actor
• John Cassavetes ~ Actor
• John Cassian ~ Saint
• John Chrysostom ~ Saint
• John Clarkson ~ Baseball Player
• John Cleese ~ Actor
• John Climacus ~ Saint
• John Cockcroft ~ Nobel Prize for Physics 1951
• John Coltrane ~ Jazz Musician
• John Constable ~ Artist
• John Corbett ~ Actor
• John Cornelius ~ Saint
• John Cornforth ~ Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1975
• John Curtin ~ Australian Prime Minister (1941-1945)
• John Cusack ~ Actor
• John D. Rockefeller ~ Business Mogul
• John Dalton ~ Scientist
• John Dashwood ~ Sense and Sensibility character
• John Dat ~ Saint
• John Davy ~ Saint
• John de Atares ~ Saint
• John de Mol ~ Business Mogul
• John de Wolf ~ Soccer Player
• John Debney ~ Musician
• John Denney ~ Football Player
• John Diefenbaker ~ Canadian Prime Minister (1957-1963)
• John Ducas Vatatzes ~ Saint
• John Duckett ~ Saint
• John E. Walker ~ Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1997
• John Eccles ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 1963
• John Elway ~ Football Player
• John Eynon ~ Saint
• John F. Kennedy ~ U. S. President (1961-1963)
• John Felton ~ Saint
• John Fenn ~ Nobel Prize for Chemistry 2002
• John Fenwick ~ Saint
• John Finch ~ Saint
• John Fingley ~ Saint
• John Fisher ~ Saint
• John Fogerty ~ Rock Musician
• John Forbes Nash Jr. ~ Nobel Prize for Economics 1994
• John Ford ~ Film Director
• John Forest ~ Saint
• John Foyamon ~ Saint
• John Franklin ~ Explorer
• John Franklin 'Home Run' Baker ~ Baseball Player
• John Franklin Enders ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 1954
• John Galsworthy ~ Nobel Prize for Literature 1932
• John Gaspard Cratz ~ Saint
• John Gavan ~ Saint
• John Gielgud ~ Actor
• John Glenn ~ Astronaut
• John Goodman ~ Actor
• John Gorton ~ Australian Prime Minister (1968-1971)
• John Grisham ~ Writer
• John Grove ~ Saint
• John Gualbert ~ Saint
• John Gurdon ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 2012
• John H. Johnson ~ Business Mogul
• John Haile ~ Saint
• John Hambley ~ Saint
• John Hannah ~ Football Player, Actor
• John Hanning Speke ~ Explorer
• John Harsanyi ~ Nobel Prize for Economics 1994
• John Hasbrouck Van Vleck ~ Nobel Prize for Physics 1977
• John Havlicek ~ Basketball Player
• John Heitinga ~ Soccer Player
• John Henry Johnson ~ Football Player
• John Henry Lloyd ~ Baseball Player
• John Herschel ~ Scientist
• John Hicks ~ Nobel Prize for Economics 1972
• John Hoan ~ Saint
• John Hoan Trinh Doan ~ Saint
• John Hogg ~ Saint
• John Houghton ~ Saint
• John Houseman ~ Actor
• John Howard ~ Australian Prime Minister (1996-2007)
• John Howard Northrop ~ Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1946
• John Hume ~ Nobel Prize for Peace 1998
• John Hurt ~ Actor
• John Huston ~ Film Director
• John I ~ Saint, Pope (523-526)
• John I Angeloptes ~ Saint
• John II ~ Pope (533-535)
• John III ~ Pope (561-574)
• John Inamura ~ Saint
• John Ingram ~ Saint
• John IV ~ Pope (640-642)
• John Ivanango ~ Saint
• John IX ~ Pope (898-900)
• John Jacob Astor ~ Business Mogul
• John Jacob Astor IV ~ Business Mogul
• John James Audubon ~ Scientist
• John James Rickard Macleod ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 1923
• John Jones ~ Saint
• John Kearney ~ Saint
• John Keats ~ Writer
• John Kemble ~ Saint
• John Kendrew ~ Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1962
• John Kingoku ~ Saint
• John Kinsako ~ Saint
• John Kokumbuko ~ Saint
• John Krasinski ~ Actor
• John L. Hall ~ Nobel Prize for Physics 2005
• John Larke ~ Saint
• John Ledyard ~ Explorer
• John Lee Hooker ~ Blues Musician
• John Leguizamo ~ Actor
• John Lennon ~ Rock Musician
• John Lithgow ~ Actor
• John Lloyd Stephens ~ Explorer
• John Lockwood ~ Saint
• John Logie Baird ~ Scientist
• John Lotulelei ~ Football Player
• John Lydon ~ Rock Musician
• John Lyons ~ Actor
• John Mackey ~ Football Player
• John Mahoney ~ Actor
• John Maid ~ Saint
• John Major ~ British Prime Minister (1990-1997)
• John Malkovich ~ Actor
• John Maria Muzeyi ~ Saint
• John Mark ~ Biblical Character (Acts 12:12)
• John Mary Mzec ~ Saint
• John Mason ~ Saint
• John Mayer ~ Pop Musician
• John McClane ~ Die Hard character
• John McCook ~ Actor
• John McDouall Stuart ~ Explorer
• John McEnroe ~ Tennis Player
• John McEwen ~ Australian Prime Minister (1967-1968)
• John Mills ~ Actor
• John Milton ~ Writer
• John Montajana ~ Saint
• John Montgomery Ward ~ Baseball Player
• John Mott ~ Nobel Prize for Peace 1946
• John Munden ~ Saint
• John Murphy ~ Musician
• John Naisen ~ Saint
• John Nangata ~ Saint
• John Nelson ~ Saint
• John Nettles ~ Actor
• John Neumann ~ Saint
• John Noble ~ Actor
• John Nutter ~ Saint
• John O'Keefe ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 2014
• John of Atares ~ Saint
• John of Barastre ~ Saint
• John of Beverley ~ Saint
• John of Bridlington ~ Saint
• John of Châlons ~ Saint
• John of Constantinople ~ Saint
• John of Damascus ~ Saint
• John of Egypt ~ Saint
• John of Gorze ~ Saint
• John of Korea ~ Saint
• John of Lodi ~ Saint
• John of Matera ~ Saint
• John of Matha ~ Saint
• John of Meda ~ Saint
• John of Nicomedia ~ Saint
• John of Parma ~ Saint
• John of Perugia ~ Saint
• John of Prado ~ Saint
• John of Reomay ~ Saint
• John of Saint Martha ~ Saint
• John of Salerno ~ Saint
• John of the Grating ~ Saint
• John of Therouanne ~ Saint
• John of Thorn ~ Saint
• John of Vercelli ~ Saint
• John Ogilvie ~ Saint
• John Oxley ~ Explorer
• John Pankow ~ Actor
• John Paul I ~ Pope (1978)
• John Paul II ~ Pope (1978-2005), Saint
• John Payne ~ Saint
• John Peter Neel ~ Saint
• John Philip Sousa ~ Musician
• John Pibush ~ Saint
• John Plessington ~ Saint
• John Polanyi ~ Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1986
• John Pople ~ Nobel Prize for Chemistry 1998
• John Powell ~ Musician
• John Quincy Adams ~ U. S. President (1825-1829)
• John Randle ~ Football Player
• John Ratzenberger ~ Actor
• John Rhys Davies ~ Actor
• John Rigby ~ Saint
• John Riggins ~ Football Player
• John Ritter ~ Actor
• John Robert Schrieffer ~ Nobel Prize for Physics 1972
• John Roberts ~ Saint
• John Robinson ~ Saint
• John Roche ~ Saint
• John Rochester ~ Saint
• John Roll McLean ~ Business Mogul
• John Roosma ~ Basketball Player
• John Rugg ~ Saint
• John Ruskin ~ Writer
• John Russell ~ British Prime Minister (1846-1852; 1865-1866)
• John Sandys ~ Saint
• John Schnatter ~ Business Mogul
• John Schneider ~ Actor
• John Schommer ~ Basketball Player
• John Scotus ~ Saint
• John Seward ~ Dracula character
• John Shea ~ Actor
• John Shert ~ Saint
• John Shoun ~ Saint
• John Slade ~ Saint
• John Slattery ~ Actor
• John Southworth ~ Saint
• John Sparrow David Thompson ~ Canadian Prime Minister (1892-1894)
• John Speed ~ Saint
• John Stallworth ~ Football Player
• John Stamos ~ Actor
• John Steinbeck ~ Nobel Prize for Literature 1962, Writer
• John Stockton ~ Basketball Player
• John Stone ~ Saint
• John Story ~ Saint
• John Strutt, Lord Rayleigh ~ Nobel Prize for Physics 1904
• John Stuart ~ British Prime Minister (1762-1763)
• John Sulston ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 2002
• John Tanaka ~ Saint
• John Thaw ~ Actor
• John the Almsgiver ~ Saint
• John the Baptist ~ Biblical Character (Matt. 3:3)
• John the Hermit ~ Saint
• John the Iberian ~ Saint
• John the Savage ~ Brave New World character
• John the Silent ~ Saint
• John the Spaniard ~ Saint
• John the Wonderworker ~ Saint
• John Theristus ~ Saint
• John Thorne ~ Saint
• John Thorpe ~ Northanger Abbey character
• John Thules ~ Saint
• John Tomaki ~ Saint
• John Travolta ~ Actor
• John Turner ~ Canadian Prime Minister (1984)
• John Turturro ~ Actor
• John Tyler ~ U. S. President (1841-1845)
• John Updike ~ Writer
• John V ~ Pope (685-686)
• John van 't Schip ~ Soccer Player
• John van Loen ~ Soccer Player
• John Vane ~ Nobel Prize for Medicine 1982
• John VI ~ Pope (701-705)
• John VII ~ Pope (705-707)
• John VIII ~ Pope (872-882)
• John Wall ~ Saint
• John Wayne ~ Actor
• John Wesley Powell ~ Explorer
• John Williams ~ Musician
• John Willoughby ~ Sense and Sensibility character
• John Wooden ~ Basketball Player
• John Worthing ~ The Importance of Being Earnest character
• John X ~ Pope (914-928)
• John XI ~ Pope (931-935)
• John XII ~ Pope (955-964)
• John XIII ~ Pope (965-972)
• John XIV ~ Pope (983-984)
• John XIX ~ Pope (1024-1032)
• John XV ~ Pope (985-996)
• John XVII ~ Pope (1003)
• John XVIII ~ Pope (1003-1009)
• John XXI ~ Pope (1276-1277)
• John XXII ~ Pope (1316-1334)
• John XXIII ~ Pope (1958-1963), Saint
• John Yano ~ Saint
• John Yi Yun il ~ Saint
• John Yossarian ~ Catch-22 character

Then just follow the diagram below.

Just for fun, see the name John in Hieroglyphics, learn about ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphics and write a Hieroglyphic message.

Learn about nautical flags and see your name or message written in nautical flags, on the John in Nautical Flags page.