"My name is growing all the time, and I’ve lived a very long, long time; so my name is like a story. Real names tell you the story of the things they belong to in my language, in the Old Entish as you might say".

"The Lord of the Rings", by J.R.R. Tolkien

  Barbol the Ent, illustration for The Lord of the Rings. Alan Lee

John: The Ultimate Evergreen Name

One of the most popular boys’ names in the English-speaking world overall, the name John has been in use for centuries. Its classic simplicity still appeals to parents in the US, the UK, and Australia. It’s also used in other countries where it’s been introduced via the English language only recently – for example, in France and Brazil.

So, what does this popular name mean and what is the history behind it? 

Origin and Meaning of the Name

John means “God’s grace” in Hebrew. It is a contracted form of the Hebrew name Yochanan “God is gracious” from the Hebrew yo “Jehovah (the Hebrew name for God)” and chanan “grace, graciousness”. In the Bible, there are several characters who are called John. One of the first mentioned is Jehohanan, one of King David's warriors. John is the spelling normally used in the New Testament. The name was very important in early Christianity: it was borne by John the Baptist and by the author of the fourth gospel (John the Evangelist).

The Appearance of Christ to the People. Aleksandr Andreevich Ivanov

History and Popularity

The name John became known in Europe through Christianity. Its various European forms were usually derived from the Greek form Ioannes (Ἰωάννης), because most of the letters and accounts that form the New Testament were written in Greek. Johannes, along with its forms Johan and Johann, is still the standard form of John in Germanic countries like Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and Switzerland.

Johannes could still be found in the United States among German immigrants until WWI when German names rapidly went out of favor.

 John IV Laskaris and Pope John XXII, 1316

John was also a royal name, borne by Byzantine emperors, popes, and by kings of Hungary, Poland, Portugal, France, etc. In its various forms in different languages, it has been the most perennially popular of all Christian names. 

St. John the Evangelist’s symbol, the Eagle, in the Book of Dimma, late 8th century, Irish

During the Anglo-Saxon period of English history, John was a rare, religious name. It was mostly used in the territories presided over by the Eastern Orthodox Church. After the First Crusade, the name gradually gained popularity in Western Europe. In England it became extremely popular in the later Middle Ages. It is estimated that John and William took turns being the number one name in England and English-speaking North America from around 1550 until the middle of the twentieth century.

John was the most popular name given to boys in the United States until 1924, gradually dropping to its current place as the 26^th most common boys’ name. Variations of the name John, such as Ian and Jon (which is often seen as a form of John, although it started as a short form of Jonathan), have gained in popularity.

Trivia

• There were 21 legitimate popes named John, 8 Byzantine emperors, 4 American Presidents, and numerous monarchs of England, France, Sweden, Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Russia.

• In the UK, the name John has never been a popular royal name. King John (1166-1216) signed the Magna Carta in 1215, which limited the king’s powers; Prince Alexander John, the youngest son of King Edward VII, died shortly after birth, and Prince John, the youngest son of King George V, suffered from epilepsy. These are some of the reasons why the name John has been considered unlucky by the British royal family. It was reported that Diana, Princess of Wales wished to name her elder son "John", after her own father, but was prevented from doing so by royal tradition.

• The traditional symbol of John the Evangelist is an eagle.

 

• Dr. John H. Watson is the name of Sherlock Holmes’ friend and biographer in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes. Long John Silver is the main antagonist in Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island”.

• John Doe or John Smith is a placeholder name for when a person’s name is unknown or intentionally left unrevealed. The similar term John Q. Public means "average American citizen," in use since at least 1934. 

• A Dear John letter is the term for a letter written by a woman to her boyfriend or husband to tell him that their relationship is over (and typically also that she’s found someone else). 
  

• Famous people named John include John Lennon (1940-1980), English rock musician, songwriter, and member of The Beatles, John Legend (1978-), American singer-songwriter, John Steinbeck (1902-1968), American novelist, and John Travolta (1954-), American actor.

• Famous bearers of the name Johannes include Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, the astronomer Johannes Kepler (1571-1630), and the composer Johannes Brahms (1833-1897).

• Johannes (or joe) is also the name of an 18^th century Portuguese gold coin, called so because it featured the portrait of John V of Portugal[1].

• A name book from the 1900s describes the character of the name John as: “Ingenuous, trusting, and honest. Prefers sport to work.[2].”

• Overall, John seems to enjoy an excellent reputation in most books exploring possible connections between names and character. “The name John represents wonderful characteristics once he matures, for he is independent, responsible, a good worker, and knows how to nurture others. John is self-directed, fair, and has a sense of humour;” “The name John also carries the ability to hold grudges and to be overly concerned with details[3].”

 

Sources:

Behind the Name, https://www.behindthename.com/name/john

Know the Name; Know the Person. 2012 CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. Sharon Lynn Wyeth, ISBN 978-1-47518-1845

The Wordsworth Dictionary of First Names. Iseabail Macleod & Terry Freedman. Wordsworth, 1995. ISBN 1-85326-366-4

The Meanings of Christian Names. Anonymous. Duff Press, 2011. ISBN 1446536440, 9781446536445

What is a “Dear John”? Revealing the untold story of wartime breakup letters. Susan L. Carruthers. https://www.cambridgeblog.org/2022/01/what-is-a-dear-john/

 

 

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[1] http://www.brianrxm.com/comdir/cnspirate_portugal.htm

[2] The Meanings of Christian Names. Anonymous. Duff Press, 2011. ISBN 1446536440, 9781446536445

[3] Know the Name; Know the Person. Sharon Lynn Wyeth

Justin: What Does the Name Mean?

There are some names whose meanings aren’t that difficult to figure out – Daisy means “daisy”, for example, and Justin means “just”. Maybe this is part of these names’ appeal. They’re straightforward names, and you don’t need to understand Ancient Greek to know what they mean.

Origin and Meaning of the Name

The name Justin derives from the Roman family name Justus, which meant "just, fair, honorable" in Latin. Justus and Justinian, a variant of the name, were fairly popular name choices in the late Roman and early Byzantine Empires. The name was made famous by several early saints and rulers. 

Unknown Roman statue; Lady Justice statue, Old Bailey, London

History and Popularity

Today, this given name is used in several countries, including the US, the UK, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands. In the original form of Justus, the name was a fairly popular Dutch name (often as Joost) during the Middle Ages. Justin has been popular in the English-speaking world at least since the 1970s, reaching the height of its popularity in 1988, when it was the 8^th most popular name for boys in the US. Its popularity has since declined, but it still remains among the 200 most popular names.

Line chart showing popularity for the name Justin - from Behind the Name website

Trivia

• Justus of Eleutheropolis or Joseph Barsabbas is a man mentioned in the New Testament; he didn’t get chosen when the Apostles were choosing who was to take Judas Iscariot's place, but he later became the Bishop of Eleutheropolis. 
  

Justinian mosaic, St. Vitale, Ravenna

• Justinian (a Byzantine form of Justus) was the name of two Byzantine emperors. Justinian the Great was a VI century Byzantine emperor famous for re-conquering parts of the Byzantine Empire’s Italian territories. His rule saw the construction of numerous churches, one of the most famous of which is St Vitale in Ravenna, known for its amazing mosaics. The Justinian Code, named after Justinian the Great, was the name of the influential Byzantine legal code.

Allegory of Rhetoric. c.1480 - Justus van Gent, National Gallery, London; 

Vittoria della Rovere (1622-1694), wife of Ferdinand II de' Medici as the goddess Flora. ca. 1640. Justus Sustermans, RKD – Netherlands Institute for Art History

• Several famous painters of the Northern Renaissance were called Justus. Justus van Gent (c. 1410–c. 1480) was a 15th-century painter from Ghent, and Justus Sustermans (1597–1681) was a Flemish portrait painter.

• In literature, famous Justins include Justin Finch-Fletchley from the Harry Potter books, and Justin (Tiberius Lucius Justinianus), a shy young army surgeon and one of the main characters in Rosemary Sutcliff’s novel The Silver Branch.

• Real-life Justins include Justin Trudeau (1971-), the current Prime Minister of Canada, and Justin Bieber (1994-), a Canadian singer and teen idol.

• Various local forms of the name also mean “just” in their relevant languages, Just, the Catalan form of Justus means "just, fair" in Catalan, and Juste, a French variant, means “fair, just” in French.

• A name book from the 1900s describes the character of the name Justin as: “Unemotional, truthful, and energetic. Usually excels in all forms of sport. Not intellectual, but intelligent and sympathetic nature[1].”

 

Sources:

https://www.behindthename.com/name/justin/top/united-states

The Wordsworth Dictionary of First Names. Iseabail Macleod & Terry Freedman. Wordsworth, 1995. ISBN 1-85326-366-4

The Meanings of Christian Names. Anonymous. Duff Press, 2011. ISBN 1446536440, 9781446536445

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[1] The Meanings of Christian Names. Anonymous. Duff Press, 2011. ISBN 1446536440, 9781446536445

“What's your name,' Coraline asked the cat. 'Look, I'm Coraline. Okay?'
'Cats don't have names,' it said.
'No?' said Coraline.
'No,' said the cat. 'Now you people have names. That's because you don't know who you are. We know who we are, so we don't need names.” 

― Neil Gaiman, "Coraline"

 

Eleanor: What's the Meaning and Origin of This Name?

Eleanor has a somewhat regal reputation, being the name of popular, eminent figures, such as Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine and Eleanor Roosevelt, longest-serving first lady of the United States. Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of both France and England, features in Robin Hood legends, historical fiction, films, and even video games. Nevertheless, despite its popularity, the origins of the name are not certain. Let’s try to unravel what this name means, shall we? 

Origin and Meaning of the Name

The name Eleanor became famous after Eleanor of Aquitaine (1122-1204), wife to King Louis VII of France and King Henry II of England. Her great-granddaughter, Eleanor of Castile was the wife of King Edward I of England. Eleanor of Aquitaine’s name at birth was Aenor after her mother, but she was called alia Aenor, "the other Aenor" in Provençal, in order not to confuse her with her mother. Ænor is a Provençal name, which is probably a Latinized form of some Germanic name. The claim that it derives from Provençal lenire "to heal, to soften" is not very likely[1].

Throughout the ages, the name Eleanor has often been seen as a variant of Helen, derived either from Greek ‘ελενη (helene) "torch, light". Helene was also the Greek word for “St Elmo’s fire”. Other Greek origin possibilities include Greek words σεληνη (selene) "moon" or Greek helios “sun, ray of the sun”. Some trace the name to the Greek eleos “compassion, mercy”. 

When the name is used in modern or non-European context, there are other possibilities. Some sources derive the name from the modern Hebrew name Ellinor, meaning “God is my light”. It also means “God is my light” in Arabic, from Arabic “Aḷḷāhu nūrī/أَلْلّٰهُ نُورِي”, but Alinur is a male name in Arabic.

History

Currently, Eleanor is much more popular in the US than in the UK. While in 2008, the name was on the 256th place by popularity in the United States, last year Eleanor has become the 16^th most popular name for newborn girls in the US, and the 55^th name by popularity in the UK (where its position has been stable).

The name has been introduced in Russia from the Italian language after 1917. During the first years after the revolution, many European names were introduced in order to replace Orthodox, “Tsarist” names.

Historical Eleanors include leaders such as Eleanor of Aquitaine, queen of France and England in the 12th century and Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962), first lady of the United States during World War II, but also creatives, such as Eleanor Parker, a Hollywood leading lady popular in the 1940s-1950-s, and Eleanor Porter, an American writer, famous for her optimistic novel “Pollyanna” (1913). 

Literary Fame

The name and its variants were highly favored in literature, most famous perhaps as the name of Edgar Allan Poe’s Lenore in a poem of the same name; it’s also the name of the protagonist’s lost love in Poe’s poem “The Raven” (1845).

Elinor (a variant of Eleanor dating back to the 17^th century) is the name of the main character in Jane Austen’s "Sense and Sensibility". Another famous Elinor is Little Nell in Dickens’ "Great Expectations"; her full name was Elinor in the novel.

Leonora, probably a Spanish variant of Eleanor, was revived in Europe by George Gordon, Lord Byron and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Both men were inspired by the love of Italian poet Torquato Tasso (1544-1594) for Leonora d’ Este. Goethe composed "Torquato Tasso", and Byron – his "Lament of Tasso". The name Leonora also appears in Gaetano Donizetti’s opera "La Favorita" (1840) and William Henry Fry’s opera "Leonora" (1845).

Hellenore was a character in Edmund Spenser's "The Faerie Queene" (1590). Hellenore is the beautiful younger wife of Malbecco, an old miser. Hellenore's name is very likely an elaborated form of Helen; the text even implies that Hellenore is inspired by the beautiful femme fatale of antiquity, Helen of Troy.

Bibliography

Behind the Name, https://www.behindthename.com/name/eleanor/top

Eleanor of Aquitaine. 1968. Regine Pernoud, available at https://www.amazon.com/Eleanor-Aquitaine-Re%CC%81gine-Pernoud/dp/B0006BUGVG

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[1] Dictionnaire provençal-français. 1847. Simon Jude Honnorat, Page 520. https://books.google.bg/books?id=2nkNAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA520&lpg=PA520&dq=lenire+in+provencal&source=bl&ots=3DcyVI1zBD&sig=ACfU3U3S-AFwU_he0s6rL3wwzLrcs3bV5g&hl=bg&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjJmJH5nfr-AhXVS_EDHXsiCHIQ6AF6BAg4EAM#v=onepage&q=lenire%20in%20provencal&f=false