Johanan

Scandinavian and Dutch variation of John

"God is gracious"

Johanan Origin and Meaning

The name Johanan is a boy's name.

Johanan is a masculine name of Hebrew origin, representing an ancient form of the name John. Derived from the Hebrew 'Yochanan' meaning 'God is gracious' or 'God has shown favor,' it appears in biblical texts as the name of several figures. While the more familiar form John became dominant in Western cultures, Johanan preserves the name's original Hebrew structure. The name carries significant religious and historical weight across Jewish, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Though relatively uncommon in mainstream Western usage, it maintains consistent presence in Jewish communities and has seen occasional adoption by parents seeking biblically authentic names. Johanan offers a distinctive alternative to the extremely common John while maintaining its profound spiritual heritage and meaningful etymology.

Famous People Named Johanan

• Johanan son of Azariah, father of Azariah, of the tribe of Levi (1 Chr. 6:9)
• Johanan of the tribe of Benjamin, follower of David (1 Chr. 12:4)
• Johanan of the tribe of Gad, follower of David (1 Chr. 12:12)
• Johanan father of Ephraimite head Azariah (2 Chr. 28:12)
• Johanan son of King Josiah of Judah (1 Chr. 3:15)
• Johanan son of Careah (Kareah) captain (2 Kings 25:23)
• Johanan mentioned in Nehemiah 6:18
• Johanan son of Joiada, fifth high priest after the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem
• Johanan son of Elioenai, of the House of David (1 Chr. 3:24)
• Johanan HaSandlar 1st century Israeli tanna
• Johanan ben Zakai 1st century Israeli tanna
• Johanan ben Nuri 1st and 2nd Israli century tanna
• Johanan bar Nafcha 2nd century Israeli rabbi
• Johanan ben Baroka 2nd century Israeli tanna
• Johanan ben Torta 2nd century Israeli tanna
• Johanan ben Aaron ben Nathanael Luria 16th century Alsatian Talmudist