masc. proper name, c.1160, from M.L.
Johannes, from L.L.
Joannes, from Gk.
Ioannes, from Heb.
Yohanan (in full
y'hohanan) lit. "Jehovah has favored," from
hanan "he was gracious." As the name of John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, it was one of the most common Christian given names, and in England by early 14c. it rivaled
William in popularity. O.Fr. form was
Jean, but in England its variants
Johan, Jehan yielded
Jan, Jen (cf. surname
Jensen). Welsh form was
Ieuan, (see
Evan), but
Ioan was adopted for the Welsh Authorized Version of the Bible, hence frequency of
Jones as a Welsh surname. Feminine form was
Joan, Latinized as
Johanna. Colloquial
John Hancock "signature" (1903, sometimes, through some unexplainable error,
John Henry) is from the signer of the Declaration of Independence, either from his signing first or most prominently. The family name is attested from 1276 in Yorkshire, a dim. (see
cock) of
Hann, a very common given name in 13c. Yorkshire as a pet name for
Henry or
John. Johnny-come-lately first attested 1839.
[
jon] 
