Surname Joh - Meaning and Origin
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Joh: What does the surname Joh mean?
The last name Joh is a patronymic surname of Dutch, German, and Scandinavian origin. Joh is derived from the given name Johannes, which is derived from the Hebrew name "Yohanan" meaning "Yahweh is gracious". This name was popularized in Europe through the New Testament, as it was the birth name of John the Baptist.
Historically, Joh was a popular name in Central and Northern Europe, and many German and Dutch families carry the last name. It was also a common practice in Norway and Sweden to assign a patronymic surname to children, with Joh being one of the oldest and most commonly used.
The patronymic surname is typically represented as Johan(n), Johann(es), or Johansson when found in Germany, Dutch, and Scandinavian countries such as Sweden and Norway, respectively. Depending on the language, it also may be written in various other ways such as Jo, Johans, Joensson, or Jonsson.
Joh is an old name with noble roots. It represents a long-standing tradition of family history and culture that has been passed down from generation to generation. It is also tied to the Christian faith, with John the Baptist having been one of its earliest endorsers.
Order DNA origin analysisJoh: Where does the name Joh come from?
The last name Joh is most common in Scandinavia, particularly in Norway. It is also relatively common in Finland, Denmark, and Sweden. The historical prevalence of the last name is likely due to its multiple variants, including Jø, Johannessen, Johansen, Johannsson, and Johansson.
In Norway, Joh is ranked in the top thirty most common Norwegian surnames. It is the sixth most common surname in Trondheim, and seventh most common in Oslo. In Denmark, it is ranked in the top ten most common surnames. In Sweden, it ranks 43rd overall, but is the fourth most common surname in Jämtland and 11th most common in Östergötland.
In the United States, Joh occurs mainly in states where there is a significant Scandinavian population, such as North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. It can also be found in other northern states, including Michigan, Montana, and Wyoming. Interestingly, the Jø surname also appears to be relatively popular in the state of Florida due to relatively recent Scandinavian immigration.
Overall, the Scandinavian countries remain the main hubs of the last name Joh today. However, due to historic Scandinavian migrations, it can also be found in places far outside these countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, and Mexico.
Variations of the surname Joh
The surname Joh is most commonly seen in Japanese contexts, and is derived from the Japanese Kanji 譲, which has variously been transliterated as Jou, Joo, Jouu, Jouuu, Jooou, and more. These are the common spellings in Japanese, but as the surname is also found in East Asian countries like Korea and Taiwan, the spellings used there can differ slightly. In Korea, for example, the surname is often represented as Cho, Choe, Choo, Choou, Chooou, or Jeou. Similarly, in Taiwan it's sometimes written as Chiu, Chyou, Chyouu, Chyouuu, Chyouou, or Teou.
The surname can also be spelled differently depending on the language in which it's written. For example, in Dutch it's typically written as Jo, and in French as Jeau.
Variants of the surname Joh also exist. For instance, in Japan the surname is sometimes found with the suffixes 'shon' and 'in', giving us Joun or Jounin. This is especially common among samurai and historical Japanese nobility. Similarly, in Korea there are variants using the suffix 'ha' and in Taiwan, the suffix 'lii'. In China, variants of the name which incorporate the characters 姜 (Jiang) and/or 光 (Guang) are occasionally found.
Due to the geographical and cultural span of this particular surname, a wide range of surnames believed to originate from the same source can be seen today. These range from Jou to Jo to Choe to Cho to Chiu to Jeau to Jounin and many more.
Famous people with the name Joh
- Chris Joh: Chris Joh is an American basketball player who is currently signed with the New York Knicks in the NBA.
- Adrian Joh: Adrian Joh is a professional basketball player who is currently playing for the Greek team PAOK Thessaloniki.
- Leif Joh: Leif Joh is a Norwegian footballer who plays for the Norwegian football team Stabæk Fotball in the Eliteserien.
- Ulf Joh: Ulf Joh is a Swedish former footballer who played as a defender. He is the manager of FC Utrecht, a Dutch football club.
- Kanoa Joh: Kanoa Joh is a professional surfer from Hawaii. He is a member of the World Surfing League and is sponsored by Volcom, Quiksilver, and Monster Energy.
- Koji Joh: Koji Joh is a Japanese actor and singer. He is best known for his roles in films such as 'Liar Game' and 'The Emperor in August'.
- Noah Joh: Noah Joh is an American actor who is best known for his roles in 'The Maze Runner' and 'Chronicle'.
- Wendy Joh: Wendy Joh is a Canadian actress who has appeared in a number of films and television series such as 'Silver Lode' and 'RoboCop 3'.
- Hideki Joh: Hideki Joh is a Japanese actor who is best known for his roles in 'Gantz' and 'Ganbare Goemon'.
- Noriyuki “Pat” Joh: Noriyuki “Pat” Joh is a Japanese-American professional wrestler and judoka. He is currently signed to All Japan Pro Wrestling.