Johnny
Johnny is an English language personal name. It is often a nickname, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females.
- English
Meaning & Origin of Johnny
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Johnny is an English language personal name. It is often a nickname, but from the 16th century it has sometimes been a given name in its own right for males and, less commonly, females.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
The Story of Johnny
Johnny first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 20 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1947, when 7,442 Johnnys were born — ranking #49 that year. As of 2026, Johnny ranks #465 for baby boys with 675 births, falling sharply (-17%). In total, more than 319K Johnnys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Johnny
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Johnny. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Johnny
Phonetically similar names — useful when Johnny is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Johnny
What does the name Johnny mean?
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In which U.S. states is Johnny most popular?
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About the name Johnny
Johnny is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 319K births in the dataset. Johnny's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #45. Use the chart and map above to compare Johnny's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1947 →
- Names of the 1940s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.