John is a common Englishmale's name. It is pronounced identically as the etymologically distinct name Jon, which is frequently treated as a variant spelling of John.
John was for a long time the most popular name in the United States. John is also referenced in a "Dear John letter", meaning a breakup letter written by a woman to her soon-to-be-former boyfriend.
The name John derives through Jewish and Christian tradition ultimately from the Biblical Hebrew name יוחנןYôḥānān, short for יהוחנןYəhôḥānān. In Christendom, feminine forms of this name have developed as well, reaching English in the primary forms Jan, Jane, Jean and Joan, and diminutized as Janet.
Interestingly, the name has come full circle, entering Israeli Hebrew as the name שוןShon, which derives from EnglishShawn, which derives from IrishSeán, which derives from FrenchJean, which derives from LatinJohann, a simplification of Johannes, which derives from GreekΙωαννης, Iōhannēs, which was loaned from Mishnaic HebrewיוחנןYôḥānān during the Second Temple Period, after John the Apostle and John the Revelator . Originally popularized in non-Jewish society as a Christian name, it has become a fashionable name in various forms in both Christendom and the Islamic World, with widespread secular use.
The name Jon is short for Jonathan, and derives from Biblical Hebrew יונתןYônāṯān, short for יהונתןYəhônāṯān. It is the inversion of נתניהוNəṯanyāhû meaning "Gift of the LORD." This name is almost nonexistent in English, but the variant מתניהוMattanyāhû spawned the hypocoristic form מתיMattay, which evolved independently in Christendom to become English Matthew.
In English, pet forms of John and Jon have developed, including Johnny and Jonny.