John
/JH-AA-N/
God is gracious, from Hebrew Yohanan, 'Yahweh is gracious,' the name of both the Baptist and the beloved apostle of the gospels. Among the most attested names of the New Testament, it became one of the foundational Christian names, carried by saints and ordinary believers across the world.
Get John's full report — patron saint, feast day & a portrait — freeQuick — what every Christian parent asks about John:
How well does John fit your family?
This page tells you what John means. The app tells you whether it's right for your baby — scored against your family & your heritage, and your baby's birth details.
Unlock John's score — free
Six signals — scored for your family & heritage, not in the abstract:
Meaning & origin
Yes — John is a Christian boy name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God is gracious, from Hebrew Yohanan, 'Yahweh is gracious,' the name of both the Baptist and the beloved apostle of the gospels. Among the most attested names of the New Testament, it became one of the foundational Christian names, carried by saints and ordinary believers across the world.”.
John is a boy's name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Christian families. The name means "God is gracious, from Hebrew Yohanan, 'Yahweh is gracious,' the name of both the Baptist and the beloved apostle of the gospels. Among the most attested names of the New Testament, it became one of the foundational Christian names, carried by saints and ordinary believers across the world." and belongs to the Divine cluster — names rooted in sacred meaning and spiritual tradition.
Common among European, Arab, Israeli, Singaporean families, John carries cultural weight that goes beyond its dictionary definition — it's a name with a story and a community.
The patron saint & feast day behind John
Many Christian names carry a patron saint and a feast day (name day) — a tradition of choosing a name for the saint a child is born near, or one the family holds dear. John lives in this tradition of meaning and heritage.
NameRoot connects the dots. See John's patron saint, its feast day, and whether it aligns with your baby's birth — alongside its full family score.
See John's saint & feast day →What does John's numerology say?
Numerology assigns each name a single-digit destiny number by summing its letter values. Different schools use different mappings — NameRoot computes both so you can see how John resonates in either tradition.
John's destiny number is 2 — but a number only matters in context. The app matches it to your family's own numbers for a real compatibility read. See John's full reading →
Does John go with your family's names?
John breaks into 3 sounds: /JH-AA-N/. The real test isn't how it sounds alone — it's how it sounds beside the names already in your family: yours, your partner's, and any brothers or sisters. NameRoot scores that harmony, so John sits naturally next to a Mum and Dad like Michael & Anna, or a big sister named Gianna — no awkward clashes, no two names that blur together. Hear John beside your family's names →
Names similar to John
If John resonates with you, these names live in the same world — drawn from the same tradition, sharing the same meaning, or echoing a similar sound.
From the same tradition
Other Christian boy names, common in European families
Sharing the same meaning
Other Christian boy names from the Divine cluster
Names that sound similar
Christian boy names that open with the same syllables as John
Explore more names
Keep exploring names like John — by tradition, by meaning, or by first letter.
Common questions about John
What does the name John mean?
John means "God is gracious, from Hebrew Yohanan, 'Yahweh is gracious,' the name of both the Baptist and the beloved apostle of the gospels. Among the most attested names of the New Testament, it became one of the foundational Christian names, carried by saints and ordinary believers across the world.." It is a boy name of Hebrew origin, traditionally used in Christian families.
Is John a boy or girl name?
John is most commonly used as a boy name.
What is the origin of the name John?
John is of Hebrew origin, used in Christian tradition, commonly among European, Arab, Israeli families.
Is John a Christian name?
Yes. John is a boy name traditionally used in Christian families, of Hebrew origin.
What does John mean in Hebrew?
John originates from Hebrew, where it means "God is gracious, from Hebrew Yohanan, 'Yahweh is gracious,' the name of both the Baptist and the beloved apostle of the gospels. Among the most attested names of the New Testament, it became one of the foundational Christian names, carried by saints and ordinary believers across the world.."
What is the numerology of John?
John has a Pythagorean destiny number of 2 — harmony and partnership.
See how John scores for your family
NameRoot is the only baby-name app that scores every name across 6 signals against your specific family context. Download free — John is waiting.
Get NameRoot — free