jost

Jost is a masculine given name of German origin, and it also exists as a surname. In German-speaking regions it has appeared since the Middle Ages and is sometimes considered a traditional form related to Johannes (John). The name has various regional variants and spellings, including Joost, Jöst, and Jost, reflecting historical phonetic shifts and transliterations across German-, Swiss-, and Dutch-speaking areas.

Notable people with the given name Jost include Jost Bürgi (c. 1552–1632), a Swiss-born clockmaker, mathematician, and astronomer who served at the court of Rudolf II in Prague, and Jost Amman (c. 1530s–1591), a German Renaissance woodcut illustrator known for his detailed engravings and emblematic works.

As a surname, Jost is found in German-speaking countries and often reflects patronymic transmission from a given name rather than a distinct occupational meaning. In modern usage, Jost persists in name records and family names, though it is relatively uncommon as a contemporary forename.

Variants and related forms, such as Joost, are more common in Dutch- and Swiss-influenced regions, illustrating the name’s cross-cultural persistence in European naming traditions.