John Boy

Popularity: #23 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JON //dʒɒn//

Origin: Hebrew; Latin; English

Meaning: Hebrew: God is gracious; Latin: John; English: derived from the Hebrew

Historical & Cultural Background

The name John has its roots in the Hebrew name Yochanan, which means "Yahweh is gracious." This name was transliterated into Greek as Ioannes and then into Latin as Iohannes. The transition into Old French as Johan eventually led to the modern English form, John.

The name has been widely used across various cultures and languages, often retaining its core meaning related to divine grace. Historically, John has been a prominent name in religious texts, particularly in Christianity.

One of the most significant figures bearing this name is John the Baptist, who is mentioned in the New Testament and is recognized for his role in baptizing Jesus Christ. Additionally, the Apostle John, traditionally credited with writing the Gospel of John, the three Epistles of John, and the Book of Revelation, further solidified the name's importance in Christian tradition.

The name's usage became widespread in medieval Europe, particularly after the establishment of the cult of saints, which included numerous saints named John, such as Saint John of Beverley and Saint John Chrysostom. Culturally, the name John has been associated with various symbolic meanings, including leadership and righteousness, often reflecting the qualities attributed to the biblical figures.

The name has also inspired numerous variations and diminutives across different languages, such as Juan in Spanish and Giovanni in Italian, which have their own historical significance. The enduring nature of the name John can be attributed to its strong biblical roots and the reverence associated with the figures who bore it, making it a lasting choice throughout centuries.

Famous people named John

In this section, you will find notable people named John. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named John who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named John who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

John Lennon is a musician best known for his work with The Beatles, as a solo artist, and for the song Imagine.

John Wayne is an actor best known for his roles in Western films such as True Grit, The Searchers, and Stagecoach.

John Steinbeck is an author best known for his novels The Grapes of Wrath, Of Mice and Men, and East of Eden.

John Travolta is an actor best known for his roles in Saturday Night Fever, Pulp Fiction, and Grease.

John Cleese is a comedian and actor best known for his work with Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and A Fish Called Wanda.

John Goodman is an actor best known for his roles in Roseanne, The Big Lebowski, and Monsters, Inc.

John Grisham is an author best known for his legal thrillers such as The Firm, A Time to Kill, and The Pelican Brief.

John Legend is a musician best known for his songs All of Me, Ordinary People, and his work on the album Get Lifted.

John Hughes is a filmmaker best known for his films The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and Home Alone.

John Malkovich is an actor best known for his roles in Being John Malkovich, Dangerous Liaisons, and Adaptation.

John Boyega is an actor best known for his role in the Star Wars sequel trilogy and the film Attack the Block.

John C. Reilly is an actor best known for his roles in Step Brothers, Chicago, and Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story.

John Legend is a singer-songwriter best known for his album Get Lifted, and the song All of Me.

John Williams is a composer best known for his film scores for Star Wars, Jaws, and Indiana Jones.

John Krasinski is an actor best known for his role in The Office and for directing A Quiet Place.

John Locke is a philosopher best known for his works Two Treatises of Government and An Essay Concerning Human Understanding.

John McEnroe is a former professional tennis player best known for his achievements at Wimbledon and the US Open.

John Rhys-Davies is an actor best known for his roles in The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Raiders of the Lost Ark.

John Barry is a composer best known for his film scores for the James Bond series and Out of Africa.

John Elway is a former professional football player best known for his career with the Denver Broncos and two Super Bowl victories.

John Stamos is an actor best known for his role in Full House and for his work on ER.

John Waters is a filmmaker best known for his films Pink Flamingos, Hairspray, and Cry-Baby.

John Legend is a musician and producer best known for his work on the album Get Lifted and the song All of Me.

John H. Johnson is a businessman best known for founding Johnson Publishing Company and Ebony magazine.

John Corbett is an actor best known for his roles in My Big Fat Greek Wedding and Northern Exposure.

John C. McGinley is an actor best known for his role in Scrubs and for his work in Platoon.

Fictional characters named John

The following list of fictional characters named John is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

John Wick is a fictional character from the film series John Wick. He is a retired hitman seeking vengeance for the death of his beloved dog and the theft of his car.

John Snow is a fictional character from the book series A Song of Ice and Fire and the TV series Game of Thrones. He is the illegitimate son of Eddard Stark and becomes a key figure in the battle for the Iron Throne.

John Locke is a fictional character from the TV series Lost. He is a survivor of Oceanic Flight 815 who becomes a leader among the group and has a deep connection to the island's mysteries.

John Watson is a fictional character from the Sherlock Holmes stories by Arthur Conan Doyle. He is the loyal friend and confidant of the detective Sherlock Holmes, often serving as the narrator of their adventures.

John Connor is a fictional character from the Terminator film series. He is the leader of the human resistance against Skynet in a post-apocalyptic future.

John Rambo is a fictional character from the Rambo film series. He is a former Green Beret and Vietnam War veteran known for his combat skills and survival instincts.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with John, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

JamesMatthewDavidMichaelThomasAndrew

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with John. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

JonathanJosephJoshuaJaredJordanJesseJacobJack

U.S. Historical Usage

The name John was first seen in the United States in 1880.

John has ranked as high as #4 nationally, which occurred in 1947, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Illinois, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name John has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name John is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when John was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for John.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 8,033 8,027 6
2024 8,095 8,087 8
2023 7,809 7,804 5
2022 8,008 8,001 7
2021 8,195 8,186 9
2020 8,274 8,265 9
2019 8,877 8,863 14
2018 9,218 9,204 14
2017 9,546 9,536 10
2016 10,072 10,060 12
2015 10,434 10,423 11
2014 10,715 10,701 14
2013 10,755 10,739 16
2012 10,649 10,638 11
2011 11,089 11,068 21
2010 11,578 11,568 10
2009 12,144 12,133 11
2008 13,358 13,336 22
2007 14,469 14,447 22
2006 15,212 15,177 35
2005 15,833 15,796 37
2004 16,541 16,470 71
2003 17,279 17,249 30
2002 17,498 17,477 21
2001 18,936 18,904 32
2000 20,142 20,115 27
1999 20,405 20,366 39
1998 20,660 20,633 27
1997 21,415 21,386 29
1996 22,225 22,188 37
1995 23,289 23,244 45
1994 24,235 24,187 48
1993 25,065 24,996 69
1992 26,309 26,253 56
1991 27,872 27,809 63
1990 29,170 29,089 81
1989 29,987 29,853 134
1988 29,594 29,427 167
1987 29,752 29,555 197
1986 30,429 30,209 220
1985 31,735 31,502 233
1984 32,848 32,610 238
1983 33,420 33,154 266
1982 34,932 34,698 234
1981 35,063 34,868 195
1980 35,525 35,274 251
1979 35,653 35,410 243
1978 34,236 34,014 222
1977 34,413 34,195 218
1976 34,186 33,976 210
1975 35,310 35,079 231
1974 37,866 37,612 254
1973 39,394 39,165 229
1972 43,382 43,158 224
1971 51,784 51,512 272
1970 58,781 58,491 290
1969 59,020 58,732 288
1968 61,206 60,903 303
1967 61,889 61,600 289
1966 65,300 65,016 284
1965 71,745 71,493 252
1964 82,772 82,508 264
1963 78,895 78,636 259
1962 78,713 78,427 286
1961 80,255 79,983 272
1960 76,340 76,096 244
1959 76,675 76,446 229
1958 76,262 76,057 205
1957 79,258 79,033 225
1956 81,028 80,804 224
1955 80,313 80,128 185
1954 81,353 81,168 185
1953 80,329 80,165 164
1952 83,337 83,140 197
1951 81,771 81,569 202
1950 79,592 79,412 180
1949 81,377 81,178 199
1948 83,026 82,834 192
1947 88,527 88,324 203
1946 79,475 79,267 208
1945 66,314 66,117 197
1944 66,796 66,616 180
1943 69,158 68,929 229
1942 66,284 66,043 241
1941 57,741 57,520 221
1940 54,994 54,786 208
1939 51,253 51,025 228
1938 50,733 50,517 216
1937 48,973 48,755 218
1936 47,886 47,683 203
1935 47,717 47,509 208
1934 47,000 46,743 257
1933 46,450 46,224 226
1932 48,922 48,624 298
1931 48,748 48,423 325
1930 52,849 52,447 402
1929 52,523 52,112 411
1928 54,184 53,760 424
1927 56,389 55,949 440
1926 56,493 56,108 385
1925 57,562 57,195 367
1924 59,434 59,052 382
1923 57,802 57,467 335
1922 57,565 57,280 285
1921 58,501 58,216 285
1920 57,194 56,913 281
1919 53,829 53,522 307
1918 56,806 56,558 248
1917 52,105 51,852 253
1916 50,270 50,043 227
1915 47,776 47,576 200
1914 38,116 37,947 169
1913 29,451 29,329 122
1912 24,700 24,588 112
1911 13,514 13,446 68
1910 11,538 11,450 88
1909 9,657 9,590 67
1908 9,401 9,343 58
1907 9,048 8,983 65
1906 8,307 8,264 43
1905 8,102 8,059 43
1904 8,148 8,108 40
1903 7,649 7,608 41
1902 7,945 7,907 38
1901 6,939 6,900 39
1900 9,874 9,828 46
1899 7,030 6,990 40
1898 8,214 8,159 55
1897 7,596 7,550 46
1896 8,188 8,138 50
1895 8,381 8,320 61
1894 8,297 8,237 60
1893 8,110 8,049 61
1892 9,093 9,039 54
1891 7,724 7,680 44
1890 8,558 8,502 56
1889 8,600 8,548 52
1888 9,299 9,247 52
1887 8,166 8,110 56
1886 9,074 9,026 48
1885 8,801 8,756 45
1884 9,428 9,388 40
1883 8,934 8,894 40
1882 9,597 9,557 40
1881 8,794 8,768 26
1880 9,701 9,655 46

Top States for John (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
TX 860
11%
CA 484
6%
FL 461
6%
NY 436
5%
GA 379
5%
PA 355
4%
NC 352
4%
TN 305
4%
AL 303
4%
IL 285
4%
VA 273
3%
OH 260
3%
MA 247
3%
NJ 230
3%
SC 203
3%
MI 180
2%
LA 179
2%
MO 161
2%
MS 158
2%
KY 154
2%
WA 139
2%
IN 131
2%
MD 118
1%
CO 110
1%
MN 107
1%
AZ 105
1%
CT 101
1%
WI 96
1%
OK 95
1%
AR 87
1%
KS 84
1%
OR 64
1%
UT 59
1%
ID 48
1%
IA 45
1%
NH 43
1%
NE 40
0%
NV 36
0%
DC 32
0%
WV 32
0%
MT 30
0%
RI 26
0%
AK 25
0%
ME 23
0%
DE 20
0%
NM 19
0%
SD 16
0%
WY 15
0%
HI 14
0%
VT 12
0%
ND 10
0%