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
School 1,455
Coal Miner Hewer 460
Farmer 214
Dressmaker 136
Labourer 120
General Servant (domestic) 103
Coal Miner (hewer) 99
At School 89
Farm Labourer 89
General Labourer 84
Private Means 70
At Home 66
Collier Hewer 63
Domestic Servant 57
Housekeeper 48
Carpenter 43
Coal Miner 42
House Keeper 39
Dock Labourer 37
General Servant Domestic 36
Clerk 34
Collier (hewer) 34
None 32
Shop Assistant 32
Home 31

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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