Johannes
Masculine · “God is gracious”
Johannes is the Latin of John — God is gracious — and Johannes Gutenberg's press changed what a book was.
How old is the name Johannes?
Johannes first appears in US birth records in 1913 — 112 years ago. The typical Johannes alive today was born around 2000, making them about 25 years old. About 2,100 people named Johannes are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Johannes most popular?
Johannes peaked in 1966, reaching #1684 nationally. Today it ranks #2480, 796 places below that high. See the whole 1966 chart.
Lists built from the same records:
Where it comes from
From Yochanan to Johannes
The story of Johannes
Yochanan gave Greek Ioannes, Latin Iohannes, and then John, Jean, Juan, Ivan and Johannes across Europe — the most productive name family the continent has. Gutenberg, Kepler and Brahms all carried it. It appears in American records in current use.
Meaning
God is gracious
From the Latin Iohannes, from the Greek Ioannes and the Hebrew Yochanan, 'the Lord is gracious'. Johannes is the standard German, Dutch and Scandinavian form. The Hebrew is transparent and the chain documented.
How the name formed
- Yochanan
- Ioannes
- Iohannes
- Johannes
Related forms: Johannes · Johannes · John
Pronouncing Johannes
yoh-HAH-nes
Three syllables, stress in the middle. German and Dutch say it that way.
Nicknames for Johannes
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1913
- Most boys named
- 201962 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1684reached in 1966
- Change vs 2023
- +3.8%54 in 2025, from 52
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Johannes in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Johannes in German — same name
- Johannes in Dutch — same name
- John in English — related form
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Florida.
Johanness among us
people named Johannes are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 boy in 31,631 born in 2025 was named Johannes
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Frederico test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Johannes's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Frederico climbed just as high around 1951, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Frederico's path sketches the road Johannes is walking now.
Johannes sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Johannes is headed
Johannes should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind.
Medium confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Johannes beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Johannes in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US boys given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- It belongs to the most productive name family in European history.
- Gutenberg, Kepler and Brahms are first-rate bearers.
- Hannes and Jan are two short forms, both with real use.
- English speakers will read the J as a J.
- Three syllables make it moderately long for everyday use.
- John is what English speakers will substitute.
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What they receive
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Johannes
Masculine · #2480 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Johanness are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,100 people named Johannes are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Johannes in 2025?
- Johannes ranks #2480 among US boy names in 2025, with 54 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Johannes?
- About 1 in every 31,631 US boys born in 2025 was named Johannes — 54 in all.
- Will my child share the name Johannes with classmates?
- Johannes will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Johannes
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Arya#2480 · Kaeson#2480 · Demian#2480 · Marion#2480 · Florian#2480 · Niles#2480 · Hardy#2480 · Caine#2480
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Johannes? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Johannes and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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