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

Popularity of Johnnie by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Johnnie is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 84% of people named Johnnie being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 66 male babies and 33 female babies born with the name Johnnie.

The history of the first name Johnnie

The name Johnnie is a diminutive form of the masculine given name John, which has its roots in the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The name gained widespread popularity during the Christian era due to its association with John the Baptist and John the Apostle.

The name Johnnie is believed to have originated in Scotland, where it was a common pet form or nickname for John. It was also used in other English-speaking regions, particularly in the United States and Canada.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Johnnie can be found in the 16th century Scottish ballad "Johnnie Armstrong," which recounts the story of a famous Border reiver (raider) of the same name. The ballad dates back to around 1550 and tells the tale of Johnnie Armstrong's capture and execution by King James V of Scotland.

Another notable historical figure with the name Johnnie was Johnnie Walker, the Scottish grocer and founder of the iconic Johnnie Walker whisky brand. He was born in 1805 and established his business in Kilmarnock, Scotland, in 1820.

In literature, the name Johnnie appears in works such as Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby Dick," where the character Johnnie Bower is mentioned as a member of the whaling crew. Additionally, Mark Twain's 1876 novel "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" features a character named Johnnie Miller.

In the realm of sports, Johnnie Lee Higgins, an American football player who played for the Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles in the late 2000s, and Johnnie Bassett, an American professional boxer who competed in the lightweight division in the 1970s, are notable figures with the name Johnnie.

Other historical figures with the name Johnnie include Johnnie Johnson, an American blues singer and pianist who was a significant figure in the development of rock and roll music in the 1950s, and Johnnie Cochran, the famous American lawyer who gained prominence for his representation of O.J. Simpson during his high-profile murder trial in the 1990s.

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 Johnnie was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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