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 2,390
Coal Miner 529
Domestic Servant 143
Labourer 130
Dress Maker 128
Agricultural Labourer 127
Farm Servant Indoor 118
General Servant 115
General Labourer 104
Farmers Wife 78
Farmers Son 78
Farmers Daughter 76
Farm Labourer 72
Labourer Wife 70
Collier 62
General Servant Domestic 60
Annuitant 55
Mason 49
Carpenter 42
Servant 42
Charwoman 39
General Domestic Servant 37
Wife 35
Grocer 33
Coal Miners Wife 32

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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