Jean

English

Etymology

As a male name, from French Jean, from Old French Jehan, from Latin Iōhannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוחנן (Yôḥānān, literally “God is gracious”). Doublet of John, Jack, Johan, Johann, Johannes, Jean, Sean, Shaun, Shane, Ian, Evan, Ivan, Juan, and Giovanni.

As a female name, variant of Jeanne, from French Jeanne, from Old French Jehane, from Medieval Latin Johanna, variant of Latin Ioanna under influence from Latin Iōhannēs, from Koine Greek Ἰωάννα (Iōánna), from Hebrew יוֹחָנָה (Yôḥānāh, literally “God is gracious”), the feminized form of יְהוֹחָנָן (Yəhōḥānān).

Doublet of Ivana, Jana, Jane, Janice, Janis, Jeanne, Jen, Joan, Joanna, Joanne, Johanna, Juana, Shavonne, Sian, Siobhan, Shane, Shaun, Shauna, and Sheena.

Pronunciation

Female given name, surname

• enPR: jēn, IPA^(key): /d͡ʒiːn/
• Rhymes: -iːn
• Homophones: gene, Gene

Male given name

• enPR: zhän, IPA^(key): /ʒɑːn/
• Rhymes: -ɑːn

Proper noun

Jean

1. A female given name from French.
   • 1788, Robert Burns, Of A' the Airts the Wind Can Blaw:

     There's not a bonnie flower that springs
     By fountain, shaw, or green,
     There's not a bonnie bird that sings
     But minds me o' my Jean.

   • 1866, Louisa May Alcott, chapter II, in Behind a Mask, or a Woman's Power:

     Isn't Jean a pretty name?"
     "Not bad; but why don't you call her Miss Muir?"
     "She begged me not. She hates it, and loves to be called Jean, alone."

   • 1972, Anne Tyler, The Clock Winder, Knopf, page 67:

     He was trying to think of her name; she had come to cook him dinner twice last spring. Jean, maybe. Or Betty. One of these plain names.

2. A male given name from French
3. A surname.
4. An unincorporated community in Nevada

Derived terms

• Jeanie, Jeannie, Jenny
• Jean Potage
• Isle de Jean Charles

Related terms

• Jeanette; see also Jane

Anagrams

• Jaen, Jane, Jaén, Jena, jane

Cebuano

Etymology

From English Jean, from a Middle English feminine form of John, from Old French Jehane.

Proper noun

Jean

1. a female given name from English

French

Etymology

Inherited from Old French Jehan, from Latin Iōhannēs, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוחנן (Yôḥānān, “Yahweh is gracious”).

Pronunciation

• (Belgium, France) IPA^(key): /ʒɑ̃/
  • (Provence) IPA^(key): /ʒãᵑ/
• (Quebec) IPA^(key): /ʒã/
• Rhymes: -ɑ̃

Proper noun

Jean m

1. John (biblical character).
2. John (book of the Bible).
3. a male given name from Hebrew, equivalent to English John, traditionally very popular in France, also common as the first part of hyphenated given names
4. a surname originating as a patronymic

Derived terms

• déshabiller Paul pour habiller Jean
• Jean Dupont

Related terms

• Feminine form: Jeanne
• Hypocoristics: Jeannot
• Variants: Yann, Yannick, Yoann, Yvan

Descendants

• → Japanese: ジャン (Jan)
• → Limburgish: Sjang, Sjeng
• → Chinese: → 讓／让 (ràng) (transliteration)

Italian

Etymology 1

Borrowed from French Jean.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈʒan/
• Rhymes: -an

Proper noun

Jean m

1. A male given name in French

Etymology 2

Borrowed from English Jean.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈd͡ʒin/
• Rhymes: -in

Proper noun

Jean f

1. A female given name in English

References

Limburgish

Etymology

Borrowed from French Jean.

Proper noun

Jean m

1. a male given name

Inflection

• The dative and accusative are obsolete nowadays, use the nominative instead.

See also

• Jón
• Jan

Norman

Etymology

From Old French Jehan, from Latin Iohannes, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης (Iōánnēs), from Hebrew יוחנן (Yôḥānān, “Yahweh is gracious”).

Proper noun

Jean m

1. a male given name, equivalent to French Jean or English John
2. John (biblical character).

Derived terms

• Jeannot

Portuguese

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Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from French Jean. Doublet of João, Ivan, Ian, Ruan, and Geovane.

Pronunciation

Proper noun

Jean m

1. a male given name from French