Meaning Hebrew "the Lord is gracious" (Yochanan).
Figure Apostle; Beloved Disciple; Evangelist; brother of James the Greater (Gospel of John; Revelation; 1-3 John).
Feast day December 27 (Catholic, Anglican); September 26 (Orthodox)
Traditions CATHOLICORTHODOXANGLICANPROTESTANT
In the Christian tradition
John the Apostle is the Beloved Disciple of the Fourth Gospel, traditionally identified as the author of the Gospel of John, the three letters of John, and the Book of Revelation. The same name belongs to John the Baptist, John Chrysostom, John of the Cross, John Henry Newman, Pope John XXIII, Pope John Paul II, and countless other Christian figures. John is among the most-used Christian names worldwide.
The name John has carried more Christian weight than any other in the post-biblical centuries. The Apostle John is the Beloved Disciple, traditionally identified as the author of the Fourth Gospel and the Apocalypse; tradition holds that he was the only apostle not to be martyred and that he cared for Mary the mother of Jesus in his home at Ephesus (John 19:26-27). The name itself, "the Lord is gracious" in Hebrew, has been the name of many major Christian figures across the centuries: John Chrysostom (the Golden-Mouthed, Archbishop of Constantinople); John of Damascus; John the Baptist; John of the Cross; John Cassian; Pope John XXIII; Pope John Paul II. The Catholic, Anglican, and Orthodox calendars commemorate John the Evangelist on December 27 (in Western tradition) or September 26 (in Orthodox tradition). The name has been continuously among the most-used Christian boys' names across all the traditions; its many vernacular forms (Juan, João, Jean, Giovanni, Johannes, Ivan, Ian, Sean) are widely used worldwide.