Johannes

Johannes is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It derives from Yochanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious.” In Latin, the forms Ioannes or Joannes spread the name across Europe, and it later took vernacular forms such as German Johannes and Dutch Johan, with Scandinavian variants as well; in English, the equivalent is John. The name is closely tied to several saints named John in Christian tradition, which contributed to its enduring popularity.

In German-speaking and Dutch-speaking regions, and across Scandinavia, Johannes has been common since the Middle Ages and remains widely used. It is typically given to boys; some languages have feminine forms such as Johanna in German.

Notable people named Johannes include Johannes Gutenberg, the 15th-century printer who developed movable-type printing in Europe; Johannes Kepler, the 17th-century astronomer who formulated Kepler's laws; Johannes Brahms, the 19th-century composer; Johannes Vermeer, the Dutch painter; and Johannes Diderik van der Waals, the physicist known for the van der Waals equation.

Today the name is still common in Germanic and Dutch-speaking areas and remains part of many naming traditions in Europe. Variants and related forms include Johan, Jan, Ioannes, and John, depending on language and culture.