Boy name · Hebrew
John
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: God is graciousJohn is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "God is gracious". It is used in English.
- Meaning
- God is gracious
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #23 in 2025
Meaning and origin of John
As a boy's name, John comes from Hebrew and means "God is gracious". It is used in English.
John is also a surname: the 919th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 37,363 people. See the most common last names.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
John on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about John on 4 lists.
“God is gracious; Hebrew. The Baptist and the beloved apostle, Gospels”
From Biblical names, biblical names for boys
“God is gracious; Hebrew. The original one-syllable classic”
From Boy middle names, classic boy middle names
“God is gracious; Hebrew. The most used English name for centuries”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
“God is gracious; Hebrew. The commonest boy's name in later medieval England”
From Medieval names and surnames, saints' names popular in medieval Europe
How popular is John?
- US rank in 2025
- #23
- 8,027 babies, 4,699 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1 in 1880
- Most babies: 88,324 in 1947
- Babies since 1880
- At least 5,182,633
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 82,115 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 70,699 per million |
| 1900s | 62,310 per million |
| 1910s | 56,375 per million |
| 1920s | 51,187 per million |
| 1930s | 46,179 per million |
| 1940s | 47,801 per million |
| 1950s | 39,468 per million |
| 1960s | 37,035 per million |
| 1970s | 24,377 per million |
| 1980s | 17,398 per million |
| 1990s | 12,328 per million |
| 2000s | 8,071 per million |
| 2010s | 5,467 per million |
| 2020s | 4,668 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #28 | #27 | #26 | #28 | #27 | #27 | #26 | #26 | #21 | #23 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for John
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Jackfrom Jankin, a medieval pet form of John
- Johnnycommon English nickname
- Jonnycommon English nickname
Other forms of John
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- ElchananGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- EoinGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- EvanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- GianniGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- GiannisGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- GiovanniGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- HannesGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- HansGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- IainGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- IanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- IantoGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- IbanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
Names spelled like John
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- JohanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JoanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JonGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JoelYahweh is God (Hebrew, boy)
- JoséHe will add (Hebrew, boy)
- JunTalented, handsome (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
- JahanWorld (Persian, boy)
- JeanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- MilanGracious, dear; a short form of Slavic Mil- names (Slavic, unisex)
- MilaGracious, dear (Slavic, girl)
- JackGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- JanaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- JohannaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- JohannesGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
- MilenaGracious, dear (Slavic, girl)
- GiaPet form of Gianna, God is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- GiannaGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
- JanetGod is gracious (Hebrew, girl)
Middle names for John
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- JonathanYahweh has given (Hebrew, boy)
John: common questions
What does the name John mean?
John comes from Hebrew and means "God is gracious".
Is John a boy or girl name?
John is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 6 girls and 8,027 boys in the US were named John, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for John?
Common nicknames for John include Jack, Johnny and Jonny.
How popular is the name John?
John ranked #23 in the US in 2025, with 8,027 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of John?
Forms of John with the same meaning and origin include Elchanan (Hebrew), Eoin (Irish), Evan (English), Gianni (Italian) and Giannis (Greek).
What middle names go with John?
Middle names that flow well with John include Ansel, Clark, Cooper, Edward and Florian. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.