Human names/John

The name John is a masculine given name in the English language. The name is derived from the Latin Ioannes and Iohannes, which are forms of the Greek name Iōánnēs (Ἰωάννης), originally borne by Hellenized Jews transliterating the Hebrew name Yohanan (יוֹחָנָן‎), "Graced by Yah", or Yehohanan (יְהוֹחָנָן‎), "Yahweh is Gracious". There are numerous forms of the name in different languages; these were formerly often simply translated as "John" in English but are increasingly left in their native forms. Yahweh is the name of the Hebrew God. The name comprises two Hebrew roots; the first root refers to the Hebrew God, and the second means "to be gracious."

The name "John" has always been a popular name for boys in multiple countries, including the United States, Canada, Ireland, and Scotland. In the United States, the name "John" was in the top 30 names for boys in every year since records began in 1880. It was the number one name for boys in every year from 1880 to 1923, inclusive. In 1947, it was number 3 and given to 88,319 baby boys, accounting for 4.75% of the boys born in the United States during that year. In 1880, the first available year, it was given to 9,655 boys, or 8.16% of boys born in the U.S. that year. The name has gradually declined in popularity but remains extremely popular. It remained in the top 20 until 2009, indicating remarkable staying power. In 2020, it was number 27 and given to 8,180 baby boys, for a density of 0.447% of all boys born in the U.S. that year.

Famous people

• John Adams (1735–1826), American statesman, attorney, diplomat, writer, and Founding Father who served as the 2nd President of the United States from 1797 to 1801
  • John Quincy Adams (1767–1848), American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, and diarist who served as the 6th President of the United States from 1825 to 1829, son of John Adams
  • John Quincy Adams II (1833–1894), American lawyer, politician, and member of the Adams political family, grandson of John Quincy Adams II, great-grandson of John Adams
• John Bacon (Massachusetts politician) (1738–1820), US Representative from Massachusetts
• John Bailey (MP) (died 1436), MP for Cricklade and Calne
• John Bailey (Australian politician) (born 1954), Australian politician
• John Bailey (Massachusetts politician) (1786–1835), Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts
• John Edgar Bailey (1897–1958), Northern Irish politician
• John H. Bailey (1864–1940), American politician, senator and representative in Texas
• John Moran Bailey (1904–1975), United States politician, chair of the Democratic National Committee
• John Mosher Bailey (1838–1916), U.S. Representative from New York
• John Bailey (Irish politician) (1945–2019), member of Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown County Council
• John Bailey (Victorian politician) (1826–1871), Australian politician
• John D. Bailey (1928–2018), American mayor of St. Augustine, Florida
• John Baker (fl. 1407), English MP for Lyme Regis, 1407
• John Baker (fl. 1421), English MP for Devizes, 1421
• John Baker (died 1544) (by 1503–44), English MP for Radnorshire
• John F. Kennedy (1917–1963), American politician, served as the 35th President of the United States from 1961 to 1963
• John Lennon (1940–1980), English singer-songwriter and founding member of the Beatles
• John McCain (1936–2018), American statesman and US Navy officer, United States Senator for Arizona from 1987 to 2018