Even if you are not particularly religious, these baby names would still make great choices for your little one! All of them mean ‘God is Gracious,’ and you can see how the common name John has developed and changed throughout history and with different cultures.
Evan may be considered an anglicised form of the Welsh Iefan, which itself came from Ieuan. These are forms of John and mean ‘God is gracious.’
Gia is a pet form of the name Gianna, which itself is a shortened version of the Italian name Giovanna. Gia is now given as a rst name in its own right.
Giovanni is the Italian form of the name John, which means ‘God is gracious.’
Ian originated as the Scottish form of John and is sometimes found spelt Iain, especially in Scotland.
Jake is a variant of the name Jack but also a name in its own right. The name returned to fashion in the 1990s and may be used as a short form for Jacob.
The name Janet is a diminutive of the name Jane. It also derives from the French Jeanette.
The name John was of great importance in early Christianity. It was borne by John the Baptist and John the Apostle. The name was also borne by many saints and by 23 popes. In its various forms in different languages, it has been the most perennially popular of all Christian names.
Kiyan is a boy’s name of Gaelic and Hebrew origins. It is a variant of Ewan, from John, meaning ‘God is gracious.’ It has risen in popularity in recent years.
Shanice is a modern name that was first used in America as a combination of the name Janice and the fashionable prefix, ‘sha.’
Siobhan is the Gaelic version of the Hebrew name ‘Joan’.
