Jan

Jan derives from the Latin Iohannes, itself from Greek Ioannes, and ultimately from the Hebrew name Yohanan, meaning Yahweh is gracious. As a masculine name it has been widely used across Germanic and Slavic languages, functioning as the local form of John in Dutch, Scandinavian, Czech, Polish, Slovene, German, and Catalan traditions, carried by countless rulers, scholars, and saints throughout European history. As a feminine name in English, it arose as a short form of Janet or Jane, becoming common in the twentieth century. Related forms include Johann, Johannes, Hans, Ivan, Ioan, Juan, Jean, and Ján.