Ivan

It is a Christian baptismal name associated mainly with the Slavic languages. It is the Slavic variant of the names “Johanna” and “Joannes.” The name derives from the Ancient Greek “Iōánnēs (Ἰωάννης),” which in turn derives from the Hebrew name “Yôchânân / Yehochanan,” meaning “graced by Yahweh, God is gracious.” This name is part of the most massive etymological root of names made up of more than five hundred variations between males and females in different languages. The name “John” had gained popularity among Jews in Judea and Galilee by the time the area became a province of the Roman Empire in 6 A.D. John Hyrcanus was the first king of the Hasmonean Dynasty and was the nephew of Judas Maccabeus. It was the given name of Yochanan ben Zechariah, a Jewish prophet known in English as John the Baptist.