Johann

Meaning

Johann is the German form of John, ultimately from the Hebrew name Yochanan. The older naming books in your excerpts gloss it as “the Lord will judge,” but the wider standard etymology of the John-name family is “Yahweh is gracious” or “the Lord is gracious.” It has been widely used across German-speaking and neighboring European cultures, often shortened to Hans.

Origin

Fun fact

In older European naming traditions, Johann often became Hans, which also helped shape surnames like Hanson and Jensen.