John name: Encyclopedia II - John name - John

John name - John

The name John derives through Jewish and Christian tradition ultimately from the Biblical Hebrew name יוחנן Yôḥānān, short for יהוחנן Yəhôḥānān, meaning "Jehovah is merciful." In Christendom, feminine forms of this name have developed as well, reaching English in the primary forms Jan, Jane, Jean and Joan, and diminutized as Janet.

Interestingly, the name has come full circle, entering Israeli Hebrew as the name שון Shon, which derives from English Shawn, which derives from Irish Seán, which derives from French Jean, which derives from Latin Johann (variants: Iohann and Ivan v is pronounced as 'u'), a simplification of Johannes, which derives from Greek Ιωαννης, Iōhannēs, which was loaned from Mishnaic Hebrew יוחנן Yôḥānān during the Second Temple Period, after John the Apostle and John the Revelator. Originally popularized in non-Jewish society as a Christian name, it has become a fashionable name in various forms in both Christendom and the Islamic World, with widespread secular use.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "John", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki