Xoán

Xoán is a Galician masculine given name, the Galician form of John. It derives from the Latin Ioannes, from the Hebrew Yohanan, meaning “Yahweh is gracious” or “God is gracious.” The name has been common in Galicia, the northwestern region of Spain, and remains widely used among Galician-speaking communities in Spain and in the diaspora. In Galician orthography, Xoán is pronounced roughly as “sho-ahn” with the stress on the second syllable; the initial X denotes a voiceless postalveolar fricative, similar to the English sh.

As a regional form of John, Xoán has cognates in other languages, such as Juan in Spanish, João in Portuguese, Ioan in Romanian, and John in English. In Galician culture, the name is associated with Saint John; the feast of Saint John, San Xoán, on the night of June 23–24, is celebrated with bonfires and other rites in Galicia and neighboring regions.

Because of Galicia’s historical emigration, the name Xoán is found outside Spain among Galician-speaking communities in the Americas, where it may appear alongside the Spanish form Juan. The name is typically given without specific surname-related changes, and its usage varies by family and community.