| John | David | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is gracious | Beloved |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JON | DAY-vid |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1947 (88,324) | 1955 (86,306) |
| In 2025 | 8,027 | 6,794 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | John | David |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 48,370 | 45,615 |
| 2010s | 102,800 | 116,740 |
| 2000s | 161,104 | 180,098 |
| 1990s | 240,151 | 253,711 |
| 1980s | 321,150 | 383,687 |
| 1970s | 402,612 | 445,704 |
| 1960s | 713,394 | 733,953 |
| 1950s | 797,922 | 769,963 |
| 1940s | 711,614 | 426,372 |
| 1930s | 487,950 | 164,701 |
| 1920s | 564,052 | 88,736 |
| 1910s | 376,311 | 43,853 |
| 1900s | 84,590 | 8,619 |
| 1890s | 80,664 | 7,333 |
| 1880s | 89,949 | 7,569 |
John comes from the Hebrew Yochanan, “Yahweh is gracious.” The most widespread of all Christian names, it was carried by John the Baptist and the apostle John, and appears in nearly every European language.
From the Hebrew name דָּוִד (Dawid), generally derived from the root dwd meaning 'beloved' (also linked to a word for 'uncle'). Borne by the great Old Testament king, it is one of the most securely attested 'beloved' names.
John is more popular than David today: about 8,027 US babies were given the name John in 2025, compared with 6,794 named David.
John means God is gracious (Hebrew origin), while David means Beloved (hebrew origin).
In US records, John first appears in 1880 and David in 1880, so John has the longer recorded history.