Jean

Jean is a masculine given name of French origin, equivalent to the English John. It derives from the Latin Iohannes, via Old French Jehhan or Jean, ultimately from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious.” In Francophone countries the name has been widely used since the Middle Ages. The feminine form Jeanne (Jeanne) and diminutives such as Jeanette or Jeannot appear in use as well.

Across Europe and beyond, Jean has many cognates: Giovanni (Italian), Juan (Spanish), João (Portuguese), Jan (Dutch and Scandinavian), Johannes (German and Dutch), and similar forms in several other languages.

Notable people named Jean include the philosopher Jean-Jacques Rousseau; the existentialist writer Jean-Paul Sartre; the filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard; the painter and sculptor Jean Arp; the actor Jean Reno; the director Jean-Pierre Jeunet; and the statesman Jean Monnet. In different periods, various saints and religious figures named Jean have also played a significant role in Christian naming traditions.

As a surname, Jean occurs but is less common; it may appear in compound names or as a patronymic in some cultures.