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 2,325
Coal Miner 646
Farmer 284
Dress Maker 229
General Labourer 173
Domestic Servant 158
Labourer 134
General Servant 122
Farm Servant 117
Agricultural Labourer 110
Collier 88
General Servant Domestic 88
Living On Her Own Means 72
Living On Own Means 66
Carpenter 63
Grocer 58
Blacksmith 57
Farm Labourer 51
House Keeper 51
Tin Plate Worker 41
General Domestic Servant 40
Mason 40
Gardener 38
Farmer's Son 37
Tailor 36

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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