Johan

Did you know?

A few things about Johan you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.

⭐ Famous Johan

Johan Ludvig Runeberg

Finland’s national poet, author of Finland’s national anthem, Swedish-speaking writer and poet (1804–77)

Choose Johan and your child shares a first name with Johan Ludvig Runeberg, a Finland’s national poet, author of Finland’s national anthem, Swedish-speaking writer and poet. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Johan, like who?” Johan Ludvig Runeberg's Wikipedia article is available in 59 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Johan Ludvig Runeberg on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: Superchilum, CC BY-SA 4.0 (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 3,310 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Johan, 516 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Johan would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryJohan first shows up in US birth records in 1910, the first year at least 5 babies got it. It has been in use for 115 years since.
• 🏆Best yearIts best year was 2008, when it reached #451.
• 📈Then vs nowJohan is 3.4× more common today than it was in 2000. In 2000 it was given to about 1 in 11,416 baby boys; in 2025, about 1 in 3,310.
• 🚀TrendJohan has climbed 27 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #572. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
• 📍Where it's lovedJohan is most popular in New Jersey, where it ranks #335, followed by Nevada (#362) and Maryland (#364). It's in the top 1,000 in 26 states.
• 💬MeaningJohan is a Scandinavian form of John, which means “God is gracious”. Our records link it to American, Danish and Dutch roots.
• 🌍OriginJohan is the #2 most popular Danish boy name in the US. That's out of 15 Danish boy and unisex names in our list.

About the name Johan

Johan is a boy name of American, Danish and Dutch origin meaning “God is gracious”. It has 5 letters and 2 syllables, starting with J and ending in “-han”. US birth records list Johan for boys from 1910 to 2025, in 93 of those 116 years. Its best year was 2008, when it ranked #451 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #572, with 516 babies.

Origin:American namesDanish namesDutch names