JeanPaul

JeanPaul is a masculine given name of French origin, most commonly written with a hyphen as Jean-Paul. The unhyphenated form JeanPaul occurs occasionally in branding, on digital platforms, or as a personal choice, but is not standard in French usage.

Etymology and meaning: Jean is the French form of John, derived from Hebrew Yochanan, meaning “God is gracious.” Paul comes from Latin Paulus, meaning “small” or “humble.” When combined as Jean-Paul, the name reflects a long tradition in French-speaking regions and among Catholic naming practices, drawing on two biblically rooted names that have been popular in European history.

Usage and distribution: Jean-Paul has been a common given name in France and other French-speaking areas since the late Middle Ages, with continued popularity in the 20th century. It is primarily a masculine name, and its reception can vary by era and region, especially for compound forms.

Variants and related forms: Standard forms include Jean-Paul and Jean Paul; less common variants include JeanPaul in some contexts. Anglicized equivalents include John Paul. In Italian, a comparable compound name is Gianpaolo. The single-word form JeanPaul is not standard in French but may appear as a stylized form in branding or personal domains.

Notable people: Notable individuals with the hyphenated form include philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre (1905–1980), actor Jean-Paul Belmondo (1933–2021), and fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier (born 1952). The name appears across various fields in many countries.

See also: John Paul, Saint John Paul II, and related disambiguation pages for variants of the name.