boy's name
Juan
HWAN
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 381,130
the United States
#159
2025 births
Juan is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "God is gracious." It is the Spanish form of John, from Yohanan, and is among the most-given men's names in the Spanish-speaking world.
- Juan is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2005, when 8,257 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,430 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Juan over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 526 |
| 1890s | 538 |
| 1900s | 912 |
| 1910s | 3,137 |
| 1920s | 7,175 |
| 1930s | 6,781 |
| 1940s | 10,746 |
| 1950s | 19,012 |
| 1960s | 23,724 |
| 1970s | 43,911 |
| 1980s | 51,979 |
| 1990s | 71,328 |
| 2000s | 76,081 |
| 2010s | 37,471 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 15,045 |
What Juan means
Juan means God is gracious, or God has shown favor. The Hebrew combines a shortening of the divine name with hanan, gracious — a statement about God rather than the child.
Where Juan comes from
Juan is the Spanish form of the Hebrew Yohanan, by way of the Greek Ioannes and the Latin Iohannes. John reached every European language: Jean in French, Giovanni in Italian, Johannes in German, Ivan in Russian, Seán in Irish, Evan in Welsh. Its ubiquity comes from two New Testament figures, John the Baptist and John the Evangelist. Don Juan, the legendary seducer first written by Tirso de Molina around 1630, attached a reputation to the name that has nothing to do with its meaning.
Juan in use
Our data shows Juan falling, peaking in 2005, and it first appears in our records in 1880 and has never dropped out. Its decline since 2005 tracks the same shift among Spanish-speaking families in America that our Carlos entry notes — toward names that work unchanged in both languages.
How popular is Juan?
In 2025, Juan was given to 2,318 babies in the United States, ranking #159 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Juan is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Juan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Juan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Juan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Juan
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Juan in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Amis
- Iwan
- Ancient Greek
- Ioannis
- Arabic
- Jehan
- Armenian
- Ivan
- Atayal
- Iwan
- Breton
- Yann
- Bulgarian
- Ivan
- Dutch
- John Jean Joan Johnny Ivan Giovanni Jan Johan Gianni Johann Hans Joannes Johannes Iwan Ivo Hannes
- Finnish
- Hannes
- Galician
- Ivo
- Greek
- Ioannis
- Hungarian
- Janka
- Icelandic
- Hannes
- Macedonian
- Ivan
- North Germanic
- Jan
- Occitan
- Joan
- Russian
- Ivan
- Sardinian
- Ioan
- Seediq
- Iwan
- Serbian
- Ivan
- Ukrainian
- Ivan
Sibling names for Juan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Juan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Juan
What does the name Juan mean?
Juan means "God is gracious," from the Hebrew Yohanan.
Are Juan and John the same name?
Yes — Juan is the Spanish form, alongside Jean, Giovanni, Ivan, Seán and Evan.
Does Juan relate to Don Juan?
Only by coincidence of name. The legendary seducer, first written around 1630, has nothing to do with the meaning.
How popular is the name Juan?
In 2025, Juan was given to 2,318 babies in the United States, ranking #159 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Juan a girl's or a boy's name?
Juan is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Juan?
Juan has 1 syllable.
When was Juan most popular?
Juan peaked in 2005, when 8,257 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Juan?
Juan is usually shortened to Juanito.
Is Juan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Juan currently ranks #159 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.