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 1,756
Labourer 290
Coal Miner 266
Agricultural Labourer 233
Collier 213
General Servant 165
Domestic Servant 149
Farm Servant 123
Servant 105
Dress Maker 98
Farm Labourer 83
Carpenter 73
Blacksmith 62
Farmers Son 56
Farmer 50
House Keeper 50
General Servant Domestic 45
Mason 45
Pauper 44
Annuitant 39
Miner 38
Farmer's Son 37
Farmers Wife 36
Farmer's Wife 32
Tailor 30

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

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