Find out how popular the first name Johan has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Johan by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Johan is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 100% of people named Johan being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 514 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Johan.

The history of the first name Johan

The name Johan has its roots in the Hebrew name Yohanan, which means "Yahweh is gracious" or "Graced by God." It evolved from the Greek form Ioannes, which later became Johannes in Latin. Johan is the Scandinavian and Dutch form of this name.

In ancient times, the name Yohanan was quite common among the Israelites, and it appears several times in the Bible. One notable figure was John the Baptist, a Jewish preacher who baptized Jesus Christ in the River Jordan and is considered a prophet in Christianity and Islam.

The name Johan gained widespread popularity across Europe during the Middle Ages, particularly in Germanic and Scandinavian regions. One of the earliest recorded bearers of the name was Johan I, King of Sweden, who reigned from 1216 to 1222.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Johan. Johan Gutenberg (c. 1400-1468) was a German inventor credited with introducing the printing press to Europe, revolutionizing the dissemination of knowledge. Johan Huizinga (1872-1945) was a Dutch historian and philosopher who made significant contributions to the study of the Middle Ages.

The Renaissance period saw the rise of Johan Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), a German composer and musician widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time. His works, including the Brandenburg Concertos and the Well-Tempered Clavier, are considered masterpieces of the Baroque era.

In the realm of science, Johan Keppler (1571-1630) was a German astronomer and mathematician who formulated the laws of planetary motion, laying the foundations for Isaac Newton's theory of universal gravitation.

More recently, Johan Cruyff (1947-2016) was a Dutch professional football player and coach who revolutionized the sport with his innovative tactics and playing style, known as "Total Football."

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Johan was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Johan, please contact us.

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