John Name Origin, Meaning and Family History
John Name Meaning : This popular name originally comes from the Hebrew name 'Yohanan', meaning 'gift of God', 'The Lord has Favored', 'HaShem is gracious'.
This common religious name was often given in respect of St John the Baptist and of St John the Evangelist along with many other Christian saints and also became popular after the Crusades. It is one of the most popular names in Europe.
Discover how your John ancestors earned their living and spread across the country. Find out more about your family history by using the Free Search box.
Surname Distribution
Census frequency by county
Name Concentrations Within England and Wales
0
261
522
783
1043
1304
1565
1826
2087
2348
2608
2869
Buckinghamshire
20
Brecknockshire
29
Cambridgeshire
42
Cardiganshire
126
Channel Islands
31
Cheshire
13
Carmarthenshire
1,271
Cornwall
190
Cumberland
5
Derbyshire
4
Denbighshire
6
Devon
144
Dorset
14
Durham
1,241
Essex
52
Flintshire
7
Glamorgan
3,130
Gloucestershire
61
Hampshire
55
Herefordshire
4
Hertfordshire
15
Hunts and Rutland
7
Isle of Man
2
Kent
40
Lancashire
106
Leicestershire
16
Lincolnshire
54
London
271
Middlesex
26
Merionethshire
1
Montgomeryshire
79
Monmouthshire
223
Northumberland
10
Norfolk
85
Northamptonshire
26
Nottinghamshire
28
Oxfordshire
13
Pembrokeshire
2,910
Shropshire
23
Suffolk
65
Somerset
68
Surrey
18
Sussex
30
Staffordshire
26
Warwickshire
33
Wiltshire
11
Worcestershire
45
Yorkshire
67
Anglesey
0
Bedfordshire
0
Berkshire
0
Carnarvonshire
0
Radnorshire
0
Westmorland
0
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John Surname Statistics
Top Professions for the John family
Profession
Census Frequency
Agricultural Labourer
690
Female Servant
548
Labourer
289
Farmer
280
Independent
261
Male Servant
241
Collier
197
Shoe Maker
90
Mariner
72
Mason
71
Carpenter
70
Blacksmith
63
Shipwright
59
Tailor
46
Pauper
43
Copperman
37
Pitman
32
Miner
31
Smith
30
Publican
29
Coal Miner
24
Joiner
24
Servant
23
Butcher
21
Dress Maker
20
Most Frequent Forenames for John
Name
Census Frequency
Mary John
8,423
William John
7,759
John John
6,339
Thomas John
6,035
David John
4,459
Elizabeth John
4,440
Margaret John
3,239
Ann John
2,866
Sarah John
2,778
James John
2,023
Martha John
1,857
Jane John
1,612
Catherine John
1,480
Henry John
1,186
Hannah John
1,129
Anne John
1,026
George John
1,014
Evan John
999
Richard John
948
Edward John
896
Daniel John
884
Annie John
848
Benjamin John
793
Eliza John
674
Joseph John
645
John Surname Variants Ranking
Rank
Surname
Match
Census Frequency
1
John
100%
96,433
2
Jehan
60%
794
3
Jon
75%
424
4
Johan
80%
253
5
Jehn
75%
105
Did you know?
The surname John is the
most popular version of all its varients