John
Boy · JON · Hebrew
TimelessBig in Northern Ireland
John is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “God is gracious”. In 2025 it ranked 156th for boys in the UK (381 babies) and 23rd for boys in the US (8,027 babies).
What does John mean?
Hebrew: from Hebrew Yochanan, via Greek and Latin
“God is gracious”
Borne by John the Baptist and John the Apostle, it was the commonest English boys' name for centuries.
- Say it
- JON
More on Wiktionary.
Is John a girl's or a boy's name?
John is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 381 boys in the UK and 6 girls and 8,027 boys in the US.
How popular is John in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #156among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 381about 1 in 790 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 26% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 1.8%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 381 boys in the UK were named John, making it the 156th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 137th. Its busiest year was 1996, with 2,099 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 4 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named John since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named John in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 174th in England and Wales, 102nd in Scotland and 67th in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#2), 1914 (#1), 1924 (#1), 1934 (#1), 1944 (#1), 1954 (#2), 1964 (#5), 1974 (#13), 1984 (#14), 1994 (#39) and 2004 (#64).
John in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 381 | #156 |
| 2024 | 408 | #145 |
| 2023 | 421 | #145 |
| 2022 | 445 | #141 |
| 2021 | 486 | #133 |
| 2020 | 461 | #137 |
| 2019 | 556 | #119 |
| 2018 | 621 | #115 |
| 2017 | 687 | #105 |
| 2016 | 697 | #109 |
| 2015 | 778 | #95 |
| 2014 | 811 | #89 |
| 2013 | 774 | #91 |
| 2012 | 824 | #89 |
| 2011 | 896 | #84 |
| 2010 | 924 | #80 |
| 2009 | 1,026 | #75 |
| 2008 | 1,081 | #74 |
| 2007 | 1,204 | #67 |
| 2006 | 1,195 | #67 |
| 2005 | 1,284 | #59 |
| 2004 | 1,314 | #56 |
| 2003 | 1,321 | #53 |
| 2002 | 1,260 | #55 |
| 2001 | 1,401 | #50 |
| 2000 | 1,475 | #51 |
| 1999 | 1,610 | #50 |
| 1998 | 1,844 | #45 |
| 1997 | 2,017 | #42 |
| 1996 | 2,099 | #40 |
How popular is John in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #23among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 8,027about 1 in 210 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 9% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 6.4%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 8,027 boys in the US were named John, making it the 23rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 27th. Its busiest year was 1947, with 88,324 boys. 6 girls were also named John in 2025 (13,203rd for girls).
Half of all the boys named John in the US since 1880 were born between 1931 and 1969, the years shaded on the chart below.
John in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8,027 | #23 |
| 2024 | 8,087 | #21 |
| 2023 | 7,804 | #26 |
| 2022 | 8,001 | #26 |
| 2021 | 8,186 | #27 |
| 2020 | 8,265 | #27 |
| 2019 | 8,863 | #28 |
| 2018 | 9,204 | #26 |
| 2017 | 9,536 | #27 |
| 2016 | 10,060 | #28 |
| 2015 | 10,423 | #26 |
| 2014 | 10,701 | #26 |
| 2013 | 10,739 | #27 |
| 2012 | 10,638 | #28 |
| 2011 | 11,068 | #27 |
| 2010 | 11,568 | #26 |
| 2009 | 12,133 | #26 |
| 2008 | 13,336 | #20 |
| 2007 | 14,447 | #19 |
| 2006 | 15,177 | #19 |
| 2005 | 15,796 | #18 |
| 2004 | 16,470 | #17 |
| 2003 | 17,249 | #17 |
| 2002 | 17,477 | #17 |
| 2001 | 18,904 | #14 |
| 2000 | 20,115 | #14 |
| 1999 | 20,366 | #15 |
| 1998 | 20,633 | #15 |
| 1997 | 21,386 | #15 |
| 1996 | 22,188 | #15 |
| 1995 | 23,244 | #13 |
| 1994 | 24,187 | #15 |
| 1993 | 24,996 | #16 |
| 1992 | 26,253 | #14 |
| 1991 | 27,809 | #10 |
| 1990 | 29,089 | #12 |
| 1989 | 29,853 | #12 |
| 1988 | 29,427 | #11 |
| 1987 | 29,555 | #11 |
| 1986 | 30,209 | #10 |
| 1985 | 31,502 | #9 |
| 1984 | 32,610 | #8 |
| 1983 | 33,154 | #9 |
| 1982 | 34,698 | #8 |
| 1981 | 34,868 | #8 |
| 1980 | 35,274 | #8 |
| 1979 | 35,410 | #7 |
| 1978 | 34,014 | #7 |
| 1977 | 34,195 | #7 |
| 1976 | 33,976 | #6 |
| 1975 | 35,079 | #7 |
| 1974 | 37,612 | #6 |
| 1973 | 39,165 | #6 |
| 1972 | 43,158 | #5 |
| 1971 | 51,512 | #4 |
| 1970 | 58,491 | #4 |
| 1969 | 58,732 | #4 |
| 1968 | 60,903 | #3 |
| 1967 | 61,600 | #4 |
| 1966 | 65,016 | #4 |
| 1965 | 71,493 | #2 |
| 1964 | 82,508 | #2 |
| 1963 | 78,636 | #2 |
| 1962 | 78,427 | #3 |
| 1961 | 79,983 | #3 |
| 1960 | 76,096 | #4 |
| 1959 | 76,446 | #4 |
| 1958 | 76,057 | #5 |
| 1957 | 79,033 | #5 |
| 1956 | 80,804 | #5 |
| 1955 | 80,128 | #5 |
| 1954 | 81,168 | #4 |
| 1953 | 80,165 | #4 |
| 1952 | 83,140 | #3 |
| 1951 | 81,569 | #3 |
| 1950 | 79,412 | #3 |
| 1949 | 81,178 | #3 |
| 1948 | 82,834 | #3 |
| 1947 | 88,324 | #3 |
| 1946 | 79,267 | #3 |
| 1945 | 66,117 | #3 |
| 1944 | 66,616 | #3 |
| 1943 | 68,929 | #3 |
| 1942 | 66,043 | #3 |
| 1941 | 57,520 | #3 |
| 1940 | 54,786 | #3 |
| 1939 | 51,025 | #3 |
| 1938 | 50,517 | #3 |
| 1937 | 48,755 | #3 |
| 1936 | 47,683 | #3 |
| 1935 | 47,509 | #3 |
| 1934 | 46,743 | #3 |
| 1933 | 46,224 | #3 |
| 1932 | 48,624 | #3 |
| 1931 | 48,423 | #3 |
| 1930 | 52,447 | #3 |
| 1929 | 52,112 | #3 |
| 1928 | 53,760 | #2 |
| 1927 | 55,949 | #2 |
| 1926 | 56,108 | #2 |
| 1925 | 57,195 | #2 |
| 1924 | 59,052 | #2 |
| 1923 | 57,467 | #1 |
| 1922 | 57,280 | #1 |
| 1921 | 58,216 | #1 |
| 1920 | 56,913 | #1 |
| 1919 | 53,522 | #1 |
| 1918 | 56,558 | #1 |
| 1917 | 51,852 | #1 |
| 1916 | 50,043 | #1 |
| 1915 | 47,576 | #1 |
| 1914 | 37,947 | #1 |
| 1913 | 29,329 | #1 |
| 1912 | 24,588 | #1 |
| 1911 | 13,446 | #1 |
| 1910 | 11,450 | #1 |
| 1909 | 9,590 | #1 |
| 1908 | 9,343 | #1 |
| 1907 | 8,983 | #1 |
| 1906 | 8,264 | #1 |
| 1905 | 8,059 | #1 |
| 1904 | 8,108 | #1 |
| 1903 | 7,608 | #1 |
| 1902 | 7,907 | #1 |
| 1901 | 6,900 | #1 |
| 1900 | 9,828 | #1 |
| 1899 | 6,990 | #1 |
| 1898 | 8,159 | #1 |
| 1897 | 7,550 | #1 |
| 1896 | 8,138 | #1 |
| 1895 | 8,320 | #1 |
| 1894 | 8,237 | #1 |
| 1893 | 8,049 | #1 |
| 1892 | 9,039 | #1 |
| 1891 | 7,680 | #1 |
| 1890 | 8,502 | #1 |
| 1889 | 8,548 | #1 |
| 1888 | 9,247 | #1 |
| 1887 | 8,110 | #1 |
| 1886 | 9,026 | #1 |
| 1885 | 8,756 | #1 |
| 1884 | 9,388 | #1 |
| 1883 | 8,894 | #1 |
| 1882 | 9,557 | #1 |
| 1881 | 8,768 | #1 |
| 1880 | 9,655 | #1 |
Nicknames for John
Names like John
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
James Joseph Charles Robert William Jack Thomas David Lewis Michael George Patrick
Other spellings of John
Names related to John
More Hebrew names
Noah Isabella Elijah Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Elias Mateo Elsie