Johnny
Johnny was the 458th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 682 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 45th; the most babies were born in 1947 (7,441). Over the last ten years it has moved down 148 places. More babies were named Johnny in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of John ('God is gracious') · English, Hebrew
Say it JAH-nee /ˈdʒɑni/
- Rank in 2025
- #458 boys, down 70 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 682boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19477,441 babies
- Total since 1880
- 321,696babies recorded
What does the name Johnny mean?
Johnny is the familiar form of John, made with the -y ending. DMNES derives John from Hebrew Yohanan, "God is gracious" (literally "graced by God"), through Greek and Latin, and lists the Baptist, the Evangelist and many popes and kings. Johnny has long been used as an independent name in the US, for example by Johnny Cash.
יוֹחָנָן (Biblical Hebrew, “God is gracious”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: John, Jon, Jonny, Jack.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Johnny', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources (ed. S. L. Uckelman), Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'John', DMNES, Durham University
Johnny popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,778 since 1896, 8 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #458 | 682 |
| 2020 | #388 | 793 |
| 2010 | #267 | 1,294 |
| 2000 | #235 | 1,464 |
| 1990 | #130 | 2,481 |
| 1980 | #113 | 2,641 |
| 1970 | #65 | 4,438 |
| 1960 | #65 | 6,184 |
| 1950 | #50 | 6,581 |
| 1940 | #51 | 4,006 |
| 1930 | #101 | 1,822 |
| 1920 | #184 | 767 |
| 1910 | #173 | 167 |
| 1900 | #240 | 72 |
| 1890 | #374 | 23 |
| 1880 | #387 | 20 |
How popular is Johnny, counting every spelling?
Johnny is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #448 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #458 for Johnny on its own. Together these spellings went to 697 boys in 2025.
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Johnny?
682 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Johnny (0.19 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Johnny born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 12 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Johnny.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Johnny?
About 210,300 people born in the US named Johnny are alive today, with a median age of 58; half are between 39 and 71. That makes Johnny a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Johnny by state
How common Johnny was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Mexico (2.8×), Mississippi (2.1×), Missouri (2.0×), Arkansas (1.9×), Arizona (1.9×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in West Virginia, Massachusetts, Indiana.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Johnny: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Johnny, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Johnny · Sibling names for Johnny
Johnny is also a nickname for John and Jonathan.
Questions about the name Johnny
What does Johnny mean?
Johnny means “pet form of John ('God is gracious')” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Johnny?
Johnny was the 458th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 682 babies. Its best year was 1944, when it ranked 45th; the most babies were born in 1947 (7,441). Over the last ten years it has moved down 148 places. More babies were named Johnny in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Johnny a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Johnny in the US.
Where is Johnny most popular?
In 2021–2025, Johnny was most common in New Mexico (1.18 per 1,000 boys), followed by Mississippi and Missouri.