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John

John is a boy's name of Hebrew and Biblical origin meaning “God is gracious.” In 2024 it was given to 8,047 boys in the United States.

John at a glance

Gender
Boy name
Origin
Biblical & Christian · English & American · Irish & Celtic
Meaning
“God is gracious”
Pronunciation
/d͡ʒɒn/

About the name John

John belongs to the Biblical & Christian and English & American tradition. Its meaning — “God is gracious” — is the sense carried by its Hebrew and Biblical roots, and it is the meaning we verified against published sources for this page.

In the United States, John first appears in Social Security records in 1880. It climbed to its best-ever rank of #1 in 1880, and in 2024 8,047 babies received the name — 5,174,470 in total since 1880. Those are the official counts, not estimates.

John in US records

First recorded (US)
1880
Best US rank
#1 in 1880
Peak year
1947
Babies named John in 2024
8,047
Total since 1880
5,174,470

Similar names

More names from the Biblical & Christian shelf:

JamesHebrew and BiblicalMichaelHebrew and BiblicalDavidHebrew and BiblicalJosephHebrew and BiblicalThomasHebrew and BiblicalDanielHebrew and BiblicalMatthewHebrew and BiblicalJoshuaHebrew and Biblical

Frequently asked questions

What does the name John mean?

John means “God is gracious” in its Hebrew and Biblical roots. We check every meaning against published sources before it appears here.

Is John a boy or girl name?

John is a boy name. In 2024, 8,047 babies received the name in the US.

What origin is the name John?

John comes from the Biblical & Christian, English & American and Irish & Celtic tradition.

How popular is the name John?

John first appears in US records in 1880. Its best-ever ranking was #1 in 1880, and 8,047 babies were given the name in 2024.

How do you pronounce John?

John is pronounced /d͡ʒɒn/ (IPA).

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Meaning and origin for this page were checked against this source. US popularity figures are from the Social Security Administration's public baby-names data. If you spot an error, write to [email protected] — accuracy is the whole point of this site, and corrections are made fast.