Surname St. John - Meaning and Origin

St. John: What does the surname St. John mean?

The last name St. John has its origins in the French heritage and it translates to "Saint John". It was originally used as a forename after the Norman Conquest in 1066 when people named their babies after biblical or saints' names in hopes of invoking divine protection for the child. As a surname, it may have been adopted from a place named after St. John the Baptist or St. John the Evangelist, or even directly from the saint's name. Additionally, when "St." is used as a prefix to a last name, it often signifies nobility or a high social status. It is predominantly used in English and French-speaking countries. It is important to note that pronunciation can vary, in English it is often pronounced as "Sin-jin".

St. John: Where does the name St. John come from?

The last name St. John is quite common in the Americas, Europe, Middle-East, and the Indian subcontinent.

In the United States, the last name St. John is found predominantly in the South and the Mid-Atlantic states. Records from the U.S. Census Bureau show that St. John was the 137th most common name in the U.S. in 2018.

In England and Wales, there are currently over 5700 people with the last name St. John, making it the 141st most common surname in the United Kingdom. The last name can be found in Scotland, but it is not as common there as it is in England and Wales.

In Canada, the last name is commonly found in all areas of the country but is most prevalent in Quebec, where about 6.5% of Quebec residents are estimated to have the last name St. John.

In the Middle East, St. John is a fairly common name in parts of Lebanon and Palestine, particularly in areas surrounding the Jordan River. It is also one of the more common last names in Israel.

Finally, the last name St. John is prevalent in parts of India and Pakistan, especially in cities such as Delhi, Hyderabad and Karachi. A study by the Indian Institute of Science concluded that about 2.5% of Indians possess the surname.

Variations of the surname St. John

The St. John surname is a patronymic (meaning "of the son of John") surname originating from the French, from the personal given name Jean. Variants, spellings and surnames of the same origin for St. John include de St. Jean, San Juan, Sanjuan, Sanjon, San Gen, Saint John, Saint Jean, St. Jeon, Saintjean, Sainjean, Sainjon, Sainjonne, de Saint Jean, de Saint-Jean, de Saintjean, de Sainjon, de Senjuan, de Sanjuan, and De Sanjon.

Variants of the St. John surname can also include de Senjon and de Sanjonne. These variants often appear in records of ancient French nobility, and are derived from the same source. In the Basque language, St. John is also known as Sanjon, and other variants of the St. John surname with the same origin are common in languages such as Spanish, Portuguese, and Catalan.

Variants of St. John also appear in English records, such as Saint John, Saint-John, St. John and St. Jean. This spelling was adopted by some of the French Huguenots who fled France to England and America in the late 17th and early 18th centuries, and is now a common variant in English records today.

In Scotland, the main variants of the St. John surname are Johnstone, Johnston, and Jaunson. These forms are derived from a location in Scotland that was known as Johnstone or Johnston. It is widely believed that the many branches of the St. John family in Scotland are directly related.

In Germany, St. John is known as Saintjohann and Johannsen, although it is not as common as it is in France and England. St. John is also found in other parts of Europe such as Poland, Italy, and Austria, where the main variants are Sanko, Sanko-San, Santucci, and Santi, respectively.

Famous people with the name St. John

• John St. John: American musician and radio host
• Vanesa St. John: British actress, best known for her role in the BBC drama series, Call the Midwife
• Stephen St. John: American diplomat and former United States Ambassador to Equatorial Guinea
• Dave St. John: American poet and professor of literary arts at Brown University
• John St. John: American Revolutionary War General and first President of the United States Bank
• John St. John: English aristocrat and politician, best known for being the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1827 to 1830
• Isaac St. John: British actor, best known for his role in the BBC drama series, This Life
• André St. John: Canadian actor and voice actor, best known for his role in the television series, Degrassi: The Next Generation
• Cat St. John: British rock musician and singer-songwriter
• Charles St. John: British naturalist and collector, best known for his work on the flora and fauna of India

Other surnames

St. John.St. Jorre