Jouan
A masculine name of French origin meaning "God is gracious".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Jouan. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jouan today is around 33 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jouan births was 1992 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jouan. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jouan. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1992
5 babies that year
Average age
33
years old
1992 SSA rank
#9,088
Tracked since 1992
Popularity
Jouan: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jouan by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jouan during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jouan
The name Jouan is believed to have originated from the medieval French variant of the name John, which itself is derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "Yahweh is gracious." The name gained prominence during the Middle Ages in parts of what is now France and Belgium.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Jouan can be found in the 13th-century French epic poem "La Chanson de Roland," which tells the story of the legendary knight Roland and his exploits during the time of Charlemagne. In this work, a character named Jouan is mentioned as one of Roland's companions.
Another notable early bearer of the name was Jouan de Garlande, a 13th-century French philosopher and theologian who taught at the University of Paris. He was known for his commentaries on Aristotle's works and his contributions to the field of logic.
In the 14th century, a French knight named Jouan de Montfort gained recognition for his role in the Hundred Years' War between England and France. He fought alongside the French army and played a significant part in several battles, including the Battle of Crécy in 1346.
During the Renaissance period, a notable figure with the name Jouan was Jouan Petit, a 16th-century French painter and engraver. He was renowned for his religious paintings and his intricate engravings, which depicted scenes from the Bible and Classical mythology.
Another important bearer of the name was Jouan de Léry, a 16th-century French Protestant minister and author. He is best known for his account of his travels to Brazil, where he lived among the indigenous Tupinambá people. His book, "Histoire d'un voyage fait en la terre du Brésil," published in 1578, provides a valuable insight into the culture and customs of the native Brazilians during that time.
While the name Jouan was more commonly used in the past, particularly in parts of France and Belgium, it has become less prevalent in modern times. However, it remains a part of the rich tapestry of European names, with its roots firmly grounded in history and cultural traditions.
People
Jouan + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jouan as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jouan: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jouan?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jouan going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Jouan a common name?
We classify Jouan as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jouan most popular?
The single biggest year for Jouan was 1992, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jouan is about 33 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jouan in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jouan a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jouan in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jouan still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jouan in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jouan can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Jouan?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many people share the name Jouan at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.