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

John Surname Statistics


Top Professions for the John family

Profession Census Frequency
Scholar 863
Agricultural Labourer 323
House Servant 304
At Home 262
Labourer 238
Farm Servant 134
Collier 132
Farm Labourer 125
Coal Miner 123
Pauper 115
Servant 73
General Servant 66
Wife 61
Dress Maker 59
Blacksmith 54
Mason 50
Farmers Son 48
Daughter 47
Farmer 46
Shoe Maker 46
Wife Of Above 42
Carpenter 41
Labourer's Wife 40
Tailor 38
Labourer's Daughter 33

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

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The surname John is the most popular version of all its varients

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