For centuries the most popular of all boy baby names, borne by saints, kings, and countless other illustrious notables, John is still in the Top 20.  For a new spin on one of the longest-running favorite baby names, try one of John's international variations.

Variations of John

Anglicized form of Seònaid, the Scottish Gaelic equivalent of Janet. It has historically been quite popular in Scotland, although it hasn't ranked in the Top 100 there since 1995. 

 Shona is also, coincidentally, the name of an ethnic group who live in southern Africa, mainly Zimbabwe.

Shona

Siobhan is the Irish variation of Joan, which is derived from the ancient Anglo-Norman name Jehanne. In this way Siobhan is indirectly related to the name Sinead—the Irish form of Jeannette, which also derived from Jehanne—although Sinead is not a nickname for Siobhan. Siobhan was the name of several early Irish queens and was introduced to the American public by the actress Siobhan McKenna.
 
Siobhan is a lovely Irish name which has spawned many Anglicized variations, but using the original form preserves the integrity of one of the most beautiful <a href="https://nameberry.com/baby-names/804/irish-names-for-girls">Irish girls' names</a>.
 
There have been a wide variety of fictional Siobhans, from a Detective Sergeant in the John Rebus novels to a vampire in Stephenie Meyers's Breaking Dawn to a character in J. K. Rowling's The Casual Vacancy. Most famous these days is the only daughter Siobhan in TV's Succession, appropriately nicknamed Shiv.

Siobhan

For centuries the most popular of all boy baby names, borne by saints, kings, and countless other illustrious notables, John is still in the Top 20.  For a new spin on one of the longest-running favorite baby names, try one of John's international variations. (Page 8)