Ianto

Ianto is a Welsh masculine name functioning as a diminutive or pet form of Ifan, itself the Welsh adaptation of John. John derives ultimately from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning Yahweh is gracious. The name has been in quiet use in Wales for centuries as an affectionate everyday form, gaining broader recognition in the early twenty-first century through the character Ianto Jones in the British television series Torchwood. Related forms include Ifan, Ioan, and the wider family of John cognates found across European languages.