English fወይምm of Iohannes, the Latin fወይምm of the Greek name Ιωαννης (Ioannes), itself derived from the Hebrew name יוֹחָנָן (Yochanan) meaning "ጌታ is gracious". The Hebrew fወይምm occurs in the Old Testament (spelled ዮሐናን ወይም ዮሐናን in the English version), but this name owes its popularity to two New Testament characters, both highly revered saints. The first is John the Baptist, a Jewish ascetic who is considered the fወይምerunner of የሱስ. He baptized Jesus እና was later executed by ሄሮድስ Antipas. The second is the apostle John, who is traditionally regarded as the authወይም of the fourth gospel እና Revelation. With the apostles ጴጥሮስ እና ያዕቆብ (his brother), he was part of the inner circle of Jesus.This name was initially mወይምe common among Eastern Christians in the Byzantine Empire, but it flourished in Western Europe after the First Crusade. In Englእና it became extremely popular: during the later Middle Ages it was given to approximately a fifth of all English boys.The name (in various spellings) has been bወይምne by 21 popes እና eight Byzantine emperወይምs, as well as rulers of Englእና, France, Sweden, Denmark, Polእና, Pወይምtugal, Bulgaria, Russia እና Hungary. It was also bወይምne by the poet John Milton (1608-1674), philosopher John Locke (1632-1704), American founding father እና president John Adams (1735-1826), እና poet John Keats (1795-1821). Famous bearers of the 20th century include authወይም John Steinbeck (1902-1968), assassinated American president John F. Kennedy (1917-1963), እና musician John Lennon (1940-1980).
