John
Meaning & Origin
Meaning: God Is Gracious
Background: The name John originates from the Hebrew name Yochanan (יוֹחָנן), which means 'God is gracious.' This name was later adopted into Greek as Ἰωάννης (Ioannis) and eventually translated into Latin as Johannes, maintaining the original meaning throughout these transitions.
At a glance
Quick stats based on the history of this name.
Lifetime rank
#2
Total births
5,196,210
Most popular decade
1940s
(2,141,034 births)
10-year trend
↑ Rising (+5 ranks)
Years in Top 100
145
First recorded year
1880
Gender usage
99.6% male
0.4% female
Stats by gender
Male
- First year
- 1880
- First year births
- 9,655
- First year rank
- #1
- Peak year
- 1947
- Peak year births
- 88,321
- Peak rank
- #3
- Most recent year
- 2024
- Recent year births
- 8,047
- Recent rank
- #21
Female
- First year
- 1880
- First year births
- 46
- First year rank
- #227
- Peak year
- 1927
- Peak year births
- 440
- Peak rank
- #318
- Most recent year
- 2024
- Recent year births
- 8
- Recent rank
- #11,069
Births over time
Number of babies given this name each year.
Rank over time
Popularity rank by year (1 = most popular).