John
John is a boy name of Hebrew origin, meaning God is gracious.
What John means
God is gracious.
John is short — 4 letters, and ends on a consonant, which gives it a firmer stop.
Where John comes from
Hebrew names are frequently built as short phrases rather than single words, and many are theophoric — they contain a name of God as one element. This is why so many carry a full sentence of meaning.
John is recorded as Hebrew in origin. Browse other Hebrew names.
How popular is John?
You will not find John in the top 100 boy names at the moment. Plenty of well-known names sit outside the charts; popularity measures how often a name is registered, not how good or how real it is.
The character of John
Two ideas meet in John: scripture, the long-established classics and faith. Names carrying more than one theme tend to be the ones that suit a wider range of siblings.
Themes: Biblical, Classic, Faith
Names like John
These share John's themes, origin, or both — closest first.
- Elizabeth — Pledged to God; God is my oath.
- James — Supplanter; a timeless classic.
- Joseph — God will increase.
- Benjamin — Son of the right hand.
- Jacob — Supplanter; holder of the heel.
- Jeremiah — God will exalt.
- Joshua — God is salvation.
- Judah — Praised.
- Abraham — Father of multitudes.
- Abram — Exalted father.
- Cohen — Priest.
- Eli — Ascended; my God.