John: Encyclopedia - John

John

John is a common given name for males. See John (name) for the etymology and versions in other languages.

John - New Testament

In the context of the New Testament, the name typically refers to one of the following:

• Gospel of John
• John the Baptist
• John the Apostle, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus.
• John the Evangelist, to whom the Gospel of John is attributed, often along with 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation. He was traditionally identified with the apostle, but today most scholars doubt this identification.

There are a great many other historical Johns, only a few of whom include:

John - Popes

• Pope John I
• Pope John II
• Pope John III
• Pope John IV
• Pope John V
• Pope John VI
• Pope John VII
• Pope John VIII
• Pope John IX
• Pope John X
• Pope John XI
• Pope John XII
• Pope John XIII
• Pope John XIV
• Pope John XV
• Pope John XVI (antipope)
• Pope John XVII
• Pope John XVIII
• Pope John XIX
• Pope John XX (never actually existed)
• Pope John XXI
• Pope John XXII
• Pope John XXIII
• Pope John Paul I
• Pope John Paul II

John - Antipopes

• Antipope John
• Antipope John XVI (see above)
• Antipope John XXIII
• Antipope John Fairlamb XXVI

John - Emperors kings and other rulers

There have been many rulers called John. See the following lists:

• John I
• John II
• John III
• John IV
• John V
• John VI
• John VII
• John VIII
• The mythological Prester John

John - Saints

John - Other uses of the name John

In North America, a john is a reference to a toilet, perhaps after the name of Sir John Harington who invented it.

A John is also a slang term for a man who pays a prostitute for sexual favors.

A Dear John letter is a correspondence in which a woman informs her fiancé or boyfriend of her intention to sever their romantic relationship, typically in situations where the man is stationed, as with the military, in a distant location for a period of time.

In a use indigenous to Southwest Texas, one can John a cat, meaning one holds it tightly, then shakes it vigorously.

See also

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