Johnny

Did you know?

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

⭐ Famous Johnny

Johnny Cash

American country singer (1932–2003)

Choose Johnny and your child shares a first name with Johnny Cash, an American country singer. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Johnny, like who?” Johnny Cash's Wikipedia article is available in 118 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.

Read about Johnny Cash on Wikipedia ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Photo: CBS Television, Public domain (opens in a new tab), via Wikimedia Commons

• 👶How commonAbout 1 in every 2,504 baby boys born in the US in 2025 was named Johnny, 682 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Johnny would very likely be the only one.
• 📜HistoryJohnny has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Johnnys, and counting.
• 🏆Best yearIt was far more popular in 1945, when it ranked #45. Today it's #457, so it could be due a comeback.
• 🍂TrendJohnny has slipped 70 places over the last five years and now sits at #457. Good news if you want a familiar name that fewer kids will share.
• 📍Where it's lovedJohnny is most popular in Nebraska, where it ranks #244, followed by New Mexico (#270) and Tennessee (#290). It's in the top 1,000 in 36 states.
• 💬MeaningJohnny is an English form of John, which means “God is gracious”.

About the name Johnny

Johnny is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “God is gracious”. It has 6 letters and 2 syllables, starting with J and ending in “-nny”. US birth records list Johnny for boys from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1945, when it ranked #45 among boy names. In 2025 it ranked #457, with 682 babies.

Origin:Hebrew names