Jon

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A masculine first name, a short form of Jonathan, used for people in English-speaking countries
2. A common male given name that is a shortened version of the Hebrew name Jonathan
3. Used as a first name for men, typically a diminutive of Jonathan in English and other languages

Etymology: Jon is a short form of John, and the name goes back to the Hebrew "Yochanan," meaning roughly "YHWH is gracious." Greek "Ioannes" and Latin "Iohannes" carried it across the Mediterranean, and Old French forms such as "Jehan" brought it into the languages of medieval Europe, where it became one of the most common personal names in Christian communities. The spelling Jon is especially common in Scandinavian and Dutch usage, where it is an ordinary form of the name, and in Icelandic it appears as Jón. In English, it is usually treated as a variant spelling of John, with the same meaning and origin.