John

John (/dʒɒn/ JON) is a very common given male name in the English language, ultimately of Hebrew origin.

The English form is from Middle English Ioon, Ihon, Iohn, Jan (mid-12c.), itself from Old French Jan, Jean, Jehan (Modern French Jean), from Medieval Latin Johannes, an altered form of Late Latin Ioannes. The Middle English personal name may also derive directly from Medieval Latin, which is from the Greek name Ioannis (Ιωάννης), originally borne by Jews transliterating the Hebrew name Yochanan ( יוֹחָנָן‎), the contracted form of the longer name Yehochanan (יְהוֹחָנָן‎), meaning "God is gracious" or "God is merciful", from the verb חָנַן‎ (chanan) 'to be gracious, to have mercy". There are numerous forms of the name in various languages; these were formerly often simply translated as "John" in English but are increasingly left in their native forms (see sidebar). The name Jonathan (or Jon) derives from a distinct Biblical name Yonatan ( "given by God").