Yochanan is a Hebrew name that means "God is Gracious". It is often transcribed as Jonathan, which is also of Hebrew origin and shares the same meaning. This name has been used throughout history, notably by King Yochanan (also known as John Hyrcanus) who ruled Judea in the 2nd century BCE. The name Yochanan is composed of two elements: "Yah" which means "God", and "chanan" which means "grace". It is often shortened to Yo or Chanoch, and its female equivalent is Yochanna or Yona.
The name Yochanan experienced peaks and valleys in popularity over the past four decades. It started strong with 9 births each in 1982 and 1984, but dipped significantly to 5 births in 1990. The number of births fluctuated throughout the 90s, showing no clear trend. From 2006 onwards, however, there's a noticeable increase, with several years (2009, 2014, 2017, 2020, and 2023) seeing more than 10 births each. Overall, the name has seen 273 births since 1982.