The name Jean has its origins in the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Graced by God" or "Yahweh is gracious". It emerged from the French form of the Latin name Johannes, which is derived from the Greek Ioannes. The name spread throughout Europe during the Christian era.

Jean is a common French name for both males and females. It was one of the most popular names in France during the Middle Ages. The name gained widespread use after John the Baptist and John the Apostle, two important figures in the New Testament of the Bible.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jean is found in the 12th century French epic poem "The Song of Roland", where it is used as a name for a character. In the 13th century, Jean de Meung was a famous French poet and scholar who co-authored the influential work "Roman de la Rose".

Jean Froissart (c. 1337-1405) was a renowned French chronicler and poet who documented the events of the Hundred Years' War between England and France. Jean Calvin (1509-1564), a French theologian and pastor, was a key figure in the Protestant Reformation and the development of Calvinism.

Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Molière (1622-1673), was a highly influential French playwright and actor who is regarded as one of the greatest masters of comedy in Western literature. Jean-Jacques Rousseau (1712-1778), a Genevan philosopher, writer, and composer, made significant contributions to the fields of political philosophy, education, and music.

Jean-Paul Marat (1743-1793) was a prominent figure in the French Revolution and a radical voice in the Jacobin group. Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (1744-1829) was a French naturalist who proposed one of the first theories of evolution, known as Lamarckism.