Gjon (definite form: ''Gjoni'') is an

Albanian Albanian may refer to: *Pertaining to Albania in Southeast Europe; in particular: **Albanians, an ethnic group native to the Balkans **Albanian language **Albanian culture **Demographics of Albania, includes other ethnic groups within the country ...

male

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a f ...

clan A clan is a group of people united by actual or perceived kinship and descent. Even if lineage details are unknown, a clan may claim descent from a founding member or apical ancestor who serves as a symbol of the clan's unity. Many societie ...

surname In many societies, a surname, family name, or last name is the mostly hereditary portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family. It is typically combined with a given name to form the full name of a person, although several give ...

and onomastic element.

As given name

Etymology and history

''Gjon'' as a given name is a form of the

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Culture, language and peoples * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England * ''English'', an Amish ter ...

name

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

. It is the name of the apostle Saint John in Albanian ().Riska, Albert (2013)
"The Christian Saints in the (Micro)toponymy of Albania"
''Anglisticum Journal (IJLLIS)'' vol 2 issue 3. Pages 167–176. Pages 169,172–175 Most saint names in Albanian come from Latin; John is from the

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

Iohannes, the Latin form of the

Greek Greek may refer to: Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor of all kno ...

Ioannes (), derived from the

Hebrew Hebrew (; ''ʿÎbrit'') is a Northwest Semitic languages, Northwest Semitic language within the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family. A regional dialect of the Canaanite languages, it was natively spoken by the Israelites and ...

name

Yohanan Yohanan ('), sometimes transcribed as Johanan, is a Hebrew male given name that can also appear in the longer form of ('), meaning "YHWH is gracious". The name is ancient, recorded as the name of Johanan, high priest of the Second Temple around ...

(), meaning "God is gracious". Both theologists and linguists are unsure about the relationship of the name ''Gjon'' to ''Gjin''—the Catholic clergy considers the two to be the same saint, but the Christians of the Central Albanian Shpati region (who are Orthodox) revere Gjin and Gjon as separate saints, while linguists are unsure about the etymology of Gjin and whether or not it shares its origin with Gjon. In the Middle Ages the name Gjon was very widespread in all Albanian regions. Until lately it was also prevalent among

Arvanites Arvanites (; Arvanitika: , or , ; Greek: , ) are a population group in Greece of Albanian origin. They are bilingual, traditionally speaking Arvanitika, an Albanian language variety, along with Greek. Their ancestors were first recorded ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

The name Gjon is also mentioned in the afterword of

Gjon Buzuku Gjon Buzuku ( – ) was an Albanian Catholic priest and a prominent Old Albanian author, who wrote the first known printed book in Albanian. Commonly referred to as the ''Missal'', this book is considered an important monument of Albanian stud ...

's 1555 book,

Meshari ''Meshari'' ( Albanian for "Missal") is the oldest published book in Albanian. The book was written by Gjon Buzuku, a Catholic cleric in 1555. The book contains 188 pages and is written in two columns. ''Meshari'' is the translation of the main ...

, where the author introduces himself to the reader as "''Unë, dom Gjoni, biri i Bdek Buzukut''" ("''I, don Gjoni, son of Bdek Buzuku''").

People with the given name Gjon

* Gjon Françesku Albani (1720–1803), Italian cardinal of Albanian descent *

(1499–1577), Albanian writer *

Gjon Delhusa Gjon Delhusa (; born 9 August 1953) is a Hungarian singer, composer and lyricist, and the cousin of singer Gábor Ihász and footballer Kálmán Ihász. He was the 1996 representative for Hungary in the Eurovision Song Contest 1996. Early lif ...

(born 1953), Hungarian singer *

Gjon Gazulli Gjon Gazuli, OP (, ) was a Dominican friar, humanist scholar, astronomer and diplomat from the Republic of Ragusa of Albanian origin.Gjon Kastrioti II Gjon II Kastrioti (;Breve memoria de li discendenti de nostra casa Musachi, p. 2841456–2 August 1514), was an Albanians, Albanian prince and the son of Skanderbeg, Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg, the Albanian national hero, and of Donika Kastriot ...

(1456–1502), Albanian nobleman *

Gjon Kastrioti Gjon Kastrioti was an Albanians, Albanian feudal lord from the House of Kastrioti and the father of Albanian leader Gjergj Kastrioti (better known as Skanderbeg). He governed the territory between the Cape of Rodon and Debar, Dibër and had a ...

(died 1437), Albanian nobleman *

Gjon Nikollë Kazazi Gjon Nikollë Kazazi (in Latin: Giovanni Battista Nicolovich Casasi) was an Albanian Catholic cleric, who served as Archbishop of the Diocese of Skopje, known for discovering Meshari of Gjon Buzuku. Biography ''Monsignor'' Gjon Nikollë Kaza ...

(1702–1752), Albanian Catholic critic *

Gjon Markagjoni Gjon Marka Gjoni (28 August 1888 – 28 April 1966) was an Albanian Catholic clan chieftain (). Biography He was born in Orosh, Mirdita, the only son of Kapidan Marka Gjoni (1861–1925). His father was the leader or Kapidan of Mirdita wh ...

(1888–1966), Albanian clan leader *

Gjon Mili Gjon Mili (November 28, 1904 – February 14, 1984) was an Albanian photographer from Korçë who developed his profession in America, best known for his work published in Life (magazine), ''Life'', in which he photographed artists such as Pablo ...

(1904–1984), Albanian photographer * Gjon Muharremaj, known as Gjon's Tears (born 1998), Swiss-Albanian singer *

Gjon Muzaka Gjon Muzaka (fl. 1510; ) was an Albanian nobleman from the Muzaka family, that has historically ruled in the Myzeqe region, Albania. In 1510 he wrote the Muzaka chronicles (a ''Breve memoria de li discendenti de nostra casa Musachi''. The work ...

, medieval Albanian noble of the

Muzaka family The Muzaka family was an noble Albanian family that ruled over the region of Myzeqe ( southern Albania) in the Late Middle Ages. The Muzaka are also referred to by some authors as a tribe or a clan. The earliest historical document that mentions ...

and writer of his famous memoir *

Gjon Ndoja Gjon Zef Ndoja (born 18 May 1991 in Shkoder) is an Albanian professional basketball player who last played for KB Vllaznia in the Albanian Basketball League The Albanian Basketball League is the men's professional basketball league in Albania ...

(born 1991), Albanian basketball player *

Gjon Progoni Gjin Progoni () was an ''archon'' (or lord) of Kruja, located in present-day Albania, from c. 1198 until his death in 1208.: "Even if it is hard to identify the outlook of Prince Gjin, the son of Progon, who died in 1208, it is clear that his suc ...

(died 1208), Albanian nobleman *

Gjon Simoni Gjon Simoni is an Albanian musicologist and composer, was born in Shkodër on 8 February 1936 into an Albanian family of long cultural tradition and died in Tirana on 2 July 1999. He was active in his city's musical life very early. In 1966 he ...

(1936–1999), Albanian musician *

Gjon Zenebishi John Zenevisi or Gjon Zenebishi ( or ''Gjin Zenebishi''; died 1418) was an Albanian magnate that held the estates in Epirus, such as Gjirokastër and Vagenetia. Name Zenevisi can be found with different spellings in historical documents. His n ...

(died 1418), Albanian nobleman

As surname

Gjoni or Gjonaj is a common

last name, from the

Gjon. The names ''Joni'' and ''Jonima'' also have the same source, and the latter (under the modern Albanian form ''Gjonima'') being the surname of members of the

Jonima family The Jonima () were a Albanian nobility, noble Albanian family that held a territory around Lezhë (northern Albania), as vassals of Principality of Arbanon, Arbanon, Serbia in the Middle Ages, Serbia and Ottoman Empire, active in the 13th to 15th ...

. The

Serbian language Serbian (, ) is the standard language, standardized Variety (linguistics)#Standard varieties, variety of the Serbo-Croatian language mainly used by Serbs. It is the official and national language of Serbia, one of the three official languages of ...

family name

Đonović Đonović ( sr-cyr, Ђоновић; also transliterated Djonović) is a Serbian language family name derived from the first name Gjon of Albanian origin. According to the legends of many Montenegrin highlander tribes, their ancestors came from Al ...

is derived from the first name Gjon which means that it is of Albanian origin.

History

The clan of Gjoni was first recorded in 1306. Originally

Christian A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...

, it is shared between Albanian Christians and

Muslims Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...

People with the surname Gjoni

Simon Gjoni Simon Gjoni (Shkodër, 1925–1991) was an Albanian conductor, and composer of many popular pieces for piano and orchestra.Jim Samson Music in the Balkans 2013 p458 "Finally, Simon Gjoni (1928-91), another Shkodér—born composer, studied conduc ...

(1925–1991), Albanian composer * Dhimitër Gjoni, Nobleman *

Xhelil Gjoni Xhelil Gjoni (born November 3, 1938) is a former Albanian politician of the Albanian Workers' Party (PPSh) and journalist. Life Gjoni was born on 3 November 1938 in Maqellarë, Dibër District. He took his first studies in his home town, and du ...

, Politician *

Sadri Gjoni Sadri Gjonbalaj (born 1966) is an American retired football player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League and National Professional Soccer League. He also earned ...

, Soccer player *

Ilir Gjoni Ilir Gjoni (born 20 April 1962) is an Albanian politician. He served as the Minister of Defence of Albania from 7 July 2000 to 8 November 2000, and Minister of Internal Affairs from 8 November 2000 to 22 February 2002. He was appointed interior m ...

, Politician *

Vladislav Gjoni Vladislav Jonima ( 1303–19) was an Albanian nobility, Albanian nobleman that initially served Serbian King Stefan Milutin (r. 1282–1321), holding areas of the Kingdom of Serbia (medieval), Kingdom of Serbia in the region of Doclea and northern ...

, Nobleman * Ingrid Gjoni (born 1981), Albanian singer * Vilson Gjoni (born 1950), Croatian footballer * Sara Gjoni (born 1997), Miss Albania *

Eron Gjoni Gamergate or GamerGate (GG) was a loosely organized misogynistic online harassment campaign motivated by a right-wing backlash against feminism, diversity, and progressivism in video game culture. It was conducted using the hashtag "#Gamer ...

, Programmer, 1st Amendment activist *

Marka Gjoni Kapedan Marka Gjoni (1861-1925) was the chieftain of the Mirdita region and tribe in North Albania. He was born in Orosh. He was assigned as ''Kaymakam'' of Mirdita by the Ottoman Empire during the absence of Prenk Bibë Doda who was interned in ...

Kapedan of the Mirdita clan * Renne Gjoni Actor

As toponym

''Gjon'', due to historic naming of places after the saint, became an element in Albanian toponyms, contributing to the formation of placenames such Shijon, Shinjan, Gjonm and Gjorm, the difference between the latter two demonstrating

Tosk Tosk ( sq-definite, toskërishtja) is the southern group of dialects of the Albanian language, spoken by the ethnographic group known as Tosks. The line of demarcation between Tosk and Gheg (the northern variety) is the Shkumbin River. Tosk is ...

rhoticism.Riska, Albert (2013)
"The Christian Saints in the (Micro)toponymy of Albania"
''Anglisticum Journal (IJLLIS)'' vol 2 issue 3. Pages 167–176. Pages 169, 172

References

Sources

* * * https://web.archive.org/web/20120211183414/http://www.albanianhistory.net/texts15/AH1470.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Gjon (Name) Albanian masculine given names Masculine given names Albanian-language surnames