The first name Johnny
A boy’s name.
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒɑn.i/ 2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
From John + -y. In the sense of an Englishman, compare John Bull.
Johnny is a short form of
.From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 89 boys were named Johnny, making it the 438th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 121 births (#377).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Johnny with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Johnny at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 682 boys born in the United States were named Johnny, the 458th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 7,441 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Johnny in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Johnny
164 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Johnny CashAmerican country singer (1932–2003)
- Johnny WeissmullerAmerican swimmer, water polo player, and actor (1904–1984)
- Johnny CarsonAmerican talk show host and comedian (1925–2005)
- Johnny HerbertBritish racing driver, born 1964
- Johnny HaynesEnglish footballer (1934-2005)
- Johnny UnitasAmerican football player (1933–2002)
- Johnny IsaksonAmerican politician (1944–2021)
- Johnny WeirAmerican figure skater and television commentator, born 1984
- Johnny HayesAmerican athlete (1886–1965)
- Johnny CardosoAmerican soccer player (born 2001)
- Johnny MaloCuliaoHerreraChilean footballer, born 1981
- Johnny SimmonsAmerican actor, born 1986
Questions
- What does the name Johnny mean?
- From John + -y. In the sense of an Englishman, compare John Bull.
- How popular is the name Johnny?
- In 2025, 89 boys born in England and Wales were named Johnny, ranking 438th. Its peak was 2016, with 121 births.
- Is Johnny a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 321,696 US babies named Johnny since 1880 were boys.
- When was Johnny most popular?
- 1947 in the United States, when 7,441 babies were named Johnny, its highest rank at 49th.
- How do you pronounce Johnny?
- Johnny is /ˈd͡ʒɑn.i/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Johnny?
- Johny, Jonny and Jhonny.