Yehohanan

Yehohanan is a Hebrew given name meaning “Yahweh is gracious.” It is the Hebrew form of the name that in English became John and has produced variants such as Yoḥanan, Yehonanan, and Yohanan across Jewish and Christian text traditions. The name appears in biblical and rabbinic sources and continues to surface in modern Hebrew usage, often in its traditional forms.

Etymology and forms: The name combines the divine name Yahweh with hanan, “to be gracious.” The form Yehohanan reflects Hebrew pronunciation and historical transliteration. In Greek and Latin translations the name commonly appears as Ioannes, giving rise to the name John in English and its equivalents in other languages.

Notable bearers: A well-known historical bearer is Yohanan ben Zakai (Yochanan ben Zakkai), a 1st-century CE Jewish sage associated with the Academy at Yavne who helped preserve Jewish learning after the destruction of the Second Temple. The name also appears in various rabbinic and historical texts in cognate forms.

Modern usage: In contemporary Hebrew, forms such as Yohanan or Yehonanan are recognized, though they are not among the most common given names today. The name persists in religious and scholarly contexts, and through translations of Biblical and historical works it remains familiar in Jewish and Christian communities worldwide.