Names That Mean Gracious

Estonian translation of John, currently ranking in Estonia's Top 20.

A Scandinavian short form of Johanna, properly pronounced with a Y sound at the start, but would likely be read as the more prosaic "John-a" in an English-speaking context.

Jenica might work if you can't decide between Jennifer and Jessica. It's certainly a more distinctive option.

A short form of the very popular Polish name Jan, which is the equivalent of John in English. Short forms ending in -ek are very widespread in Poland, but it is rare that one is given as the official birth certificate name.

This common name for both boys and girls in Scandinavia would definitely work better as a feminine name in the U.S.

This common name in Finland, which is also a diminutive for Jan in Sweden, might feel a bit feminine in the English-speaking world, too close to girls' names Jan and Jane.

Sure to be mispronounced.

Popular Irish name brought here by singer Sinead O'Connor, could make a striking choice for a child with deep Irish roots.

A cool Finnish name with a lovely sound and meaning.

An lesser-known member of the John-Joan family, though popular in its native habitat, has never emigrated, possibly due to its non-intuitive pronunciation.

Short form of Yann, the Breton form of John.

A simplified spelling of the French name Yannick. It's almost unknown to English speakers, but could be an interesting Euro-chic alternative to the more popular Henrik.

Irish form of Johnny

A Portuguese classic, typically spelled with a tilde over the A. Many members of the Portuguese royal family were named João, and today it’s associated with a number of Portuguese and Brazilian footballers.

Jaunty Jancey hails from the United Kingdom, where it appeared in England as a surname and in Scotland as a nickname for Janet. It's extremely uncommon in the US, given to fewer than five baby girls in the most recent year on record. You'll be hard-pressed to come across another Jancey in your life, so if unique names are a priority for you, this jolly and accessible choice belongs on your list.

With its upbeat Slavic/Scandinavian air, it has the most potential of all the Jan names.

This name appears frequently in the Old Testament, notably as the Hebrew name of Shadrach.

A contracted form of Yehochanan, the Biblical Hebrew form of John. Variants include Yohanan and Johanan and the increasingly popular short form is Yahya.

Classically, the De- prefix indicates "son of," so any variation of this name could work for the child of a dad named Shawn or Sean.

Finnish form of John