142 Variations of John - Page 2

Jaunty, to say the least, Jonty might be an option if Johnny feels too old school. It has been noticed most often on the playing fields, as in U.K. rugby player Jonty Parkin (born Jonathan) and South African cricketer Jonty Rhodes (Jonathon).

Shawn is a phonetic spelling of Sean that may be past its peak – it was a Top 30 name in the early 1970s – but is still quite popular for boys: over 500 baby boys were named Shawn in the US in the most recent year counted vs 800 given the original Sean spelling.

Jaxon has been mostly climbing in popularity since it entered the Top 1000 in 1997, proving that many parents have decided to rev up the cool factor of Jackson by giving it this streamlined spelling. (Though we still prefer the original.)

This rare Irish name can be used as a variant of Susan, or as a form of Siobhan, itself a feminine form of John. Siún appears in a classic Irish song, Siún Ní Dhuibhir , about a man's brief encounter with a woman named Siún and the fleeting nature of love.

Juan, the Spanish version of John, is ubiquitous in the Spanish-speaking world, and is familiar internationally via such references as Don Juan and San Juan.

Johanna is the version of this name used in Holland, Germany, and Scandinavia. The extra h makes Johanna a slightly more dignified version of Joanna.

The ultimate midcentury nickname, retaining a good measure of retro charm, was chosen for her son by Mira Sorvino.

With Old European vibes, Johan is a variant of the classic John, similar to the Latin, Hebrew, and Germanic forms, Iohannes, Yohanan, and Johannes. Conjuring up the image of the classical composer Brahms or the astronomer Kepler, while still feeling timeless and distinctive, Johan has been in the US Top 600 for most of the 21st century, helped along by Heidi Klum and Seal using it for their son in 2006.

Though familiar to all via such childhood icons as Hans Brinker, Hans(el) and Gretel, and Hans Christian Andersen, few Americans have chosen this name for their sons because of its intractably Old Country image.

Seanan might be considered an Anglicized form of Seanán, itself a modern form of Senán, an Old Irish name meaning "little old one", giving it a wise and ancient feel. The name of a 6th century saint and monk, Seanan might also be considered an elaboration or a diminutive of Sean, the Irish variation of John. By combining it with the -an suffix (meaning "descendent of" or more literally "little") it could be a way to freshen up the now well-travelled Irish name.

Yahya is an Islamic name derived from the Hebrew Yochanan, making it both an honor for the prophet John the Baptist, and one of many international forms of John. In Islamic tradition, Yahya is celebrated for his gentleness, his goodness, and his dedication to and understanding of scriptures from a young age.
Currently popular in Tunisia, and Belgium, Yahya has also been on and off of the US Top 1000 charts since 2015. In a recent year, however, it was one of the fastest rising names, climbing 175 places and given to nearly 380 boys. It also made the England and Wales Top 100 for the first time in the same year.

Evanna is the name of a Harry Potter actress who pronounces it ee-vah-na. This might be considered another international feminine form of the many variations of John; Ivana, Giovanna, and even Joan are cousins of Evanna. It could also be a compound name, combining Eva and Anna.

Streamlined version of the classic boys' names, sometimes a short form of Jonathan, which is in fact an entirely different name from John attached to a different Biblical personage. Jon feels more modern than the traditional John, but some may find it an overly slight variation on an already slim name. Jon Snow is a popular character on HBO's Game of Thrones.

The traditional German spelling of this name, used by Goethe, Bach and many other luminaries. Familiar in the US, but retains an Olde World feel, for better and worse.

A Top 100 name from the 1930s all the way through the 1950s, it's now firmly in Mom -- or Grandma -- land and supplanted for babies by Joanna.....or even great-grandmother Josephine. In its heyday, it had a host of variations, including JoAnn and Jo-Anne.

Though Eoin is a Gaelic form of John, its Anglicized pronunciation links it directly to Owen. Eoin is currently a Top 30 name in Ireland. Other variations: Ewan, Ewen, Evan and Eoghan (pronounced as Owen but also translated as Eugene).

Yannick originated as a diminutive of Yann, the Breton form of John. However, it has since become popular as a standalone name in its native region of Brittany, as well as in France as a whole, where it peaked at #31 in 1973-4. It remains well within the Top 500 in France to this day, and has also seen regular use in Belgium, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Quebec.

Gianni, the Italian equivalent of Johnny, sounds more substantial and fresh. Like many names starting with "Gian", it is on a rising trend (for both boys and girls, though it leans more male). TV star Jill Hennessey's son is named Gianni Mastropietro.

Jackie Kennedy gave this name a lot of style, but it doesn't seem destined for a comeback the way brother name Jack has. Jackie and Jacqueline both peaked in 1961.

For a minute or two this sounded more modern than Janet, now equally outmoded.