Like many surnames, the name Johan is taken from a
personal name common in the era when surnames began to be used. Johannes is the Germanic form of John, which comes from the
Hebrew name "Yochanan," meaning "Jehovah has favored me with a son" and which became a very popular personal name in Europe because of two saints by the name, Saint John the Baptist and Saint John the Evangelist.
Early Origins of the Johan family
The surname Johan was first found in
Germany, where the name Johan came from humble beginnings but gained a significant reputation for its contribution to the emerging mediaeval society. It later became more prominent as numerous branches of the same house acquired distant estates, some of which were located in other countries. Through the acquisition of these estates as well as their important contributions to society, the family successfully elevated their social status.
Early History of the Johan family
This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Johan research.
Another 68 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1763 and 1844 are included under the topic Early Johan History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Johan Spelling Variations
Spelling variations of this family name include: Johan, Johanns, Johannes, Johanes, Johann and others.
Early Notables of the Johan family (pre 1700)
More information is included under the topic Early Johan Notables in all our
PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.
Migration of the Johan family to the New World and Oceana
Some of the first settlers of this family name were:
Johan Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
- Henrig Johan, who settled in New York in 1709 with his wife and four children
- Henrig Johan, who arrived in New York in 1709 [1]CITATION[CLOSE]
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Contemporary Notables of the name Johan (post 1700)
- Carl Johan Ege (1852-1943), Norwegian banker
- Ingvald Johan Bjerke (1907-1990), Norwegian boxer at the 1928 Summer Olympics
- Andre Johan Seymore (b. 1975), retired South African cricketer who played from 1993 to 2008
- Carl Johan Bergman (b. 1978), Swedish gold, two-time silver and bronze medalist biathlete
- Olaus Johan Murie (1889-1963), American naturalist, author, and wildlife biologist, the "father of modern elk management"
- Carl Johan Schönherr (1772-1848), Swedish entomologist
- Björn Johan Andrésen (b. 1955), Swedish actor and musician
- Jorge Johan Vásquez (b. 1984), Peruvian footballer
- Karl Johan Andersson (1827-1867), Swedish explorer
- Johan Corné Greyling (b. 1991), Namibian rugby union player, currently playing with the Welwitschias