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John is a common English male's name and was for a long time the most popular name in the United States. It is pronounced identically as the etymologically distinct name Jon, which is frequently treated as a variant spelling of John.
The john is also a nickname for the restroom, perhaps after Sir John Harington, who invented the first flushing toilet. It is also often used to refer to a man who solicits a prostitute, and is also well-known in the form "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 Gaelic 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 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)
- KJV Old Testament English Johanan
- Septuagint Greek Ιωαννης, Iōhannēs, Iōannēs
- Modern Greek Γιαννης (Yannis), Γιαννη (Yanni)
- 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
- 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
- German Jan, Johann, Johannes, feminine Johanna
- Germanic diminutive Hans
- Hungarian/Slovak Ján
- Icelandic Jón
- Lithuanian Janis
- Irish Eóin
- Romanian Iancu
- Slovenian Janez
- Italian Giovanni, Gianni, Gian, feminine Giovanna, Gianna
- Japanese ヨハネ (Yohane)
- Mandarin Chinese Yuehan
- 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/Russian Иван (Ivan), feminine Ивана (Ivana)
- Croatian/Slovak Ivan, feminine Ivana
- Polish Iwan
- 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
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