John
Pronounced JH AA1 N (ARPABET)
- 1 syllable
- Peaked 1947
- 145 years in use
- Biblical
- 3 spellings
How popular is John?
John is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 5,369,447 children — the most common boys' name on record.
It has been slipping, down 30% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1947, when 90,653 children were given it.
Three other spellings are counted in that total — Jon, Jonn and Johnn — because they are pronounced identically.
Spelling variants
These spellings sound identical to John and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.
- Jon
- Jonn
- Johnn
Nicknames
Characteristics
- Biblical (Person)
- 1 syllable
Phonetic detail
- Pronunciations:
- JH AA1 N
- Stress pattern:
- 1
- Syllables:
- 1
Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.
Names like John
Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.
Sibling names for John
Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.
Frequently asked questions
- How popular is the name John?
- John ranks 1st among boys' names in US records, with 5,369,447 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 91,623.
- Is John a unisex name?
- No. John is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
- When was John most popular?
- 1947, when 90,653 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
- What are common nicknames for John?
- Jack, Johnny. These are recorded as separate names in their own right, so each has its own page and its own popularity curve.
- How else is John spelled?
- Jon, Jonn, Johnn. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.