Ion is a masculine

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 ...

. The written form corresponds to two names that are different and unrelated in origin. The first is 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 ...

name (''Iōn)'', after the mythical founder of the

Ionians The Ionians (; , ''Íōnes'', singular , ''Íōn'') were one of the traditional four major tribes of Ancient Greece, alongside the Dorians, Aeolians, and Achaeans. The Ionian dialect was one of the three major linguistic divisions of the ...

; the modern (demotic) Greek equivalent is ''Ionas''. The second name is the

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

''Ion'' which is equivalent to the English 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 ...

and has the same

etymology Etymology ( ) is the study of the origin and evolution of words—including their constituent units of sound and meaning—across time. In the 21st century a subfield within linguistics, etymology has become a more rigorously scientific study. ...

as "Jon", all tracing back to 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 ...

Bible name

Johanan 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 arou ...

. Another variant is

Ioan Ioan is a variation on the name John (first name), John found in Aromanian language, Aromanian, Romanian language, Romanian, Bulgarian language, Bulgarian, Russian language, Russian, Welsh language, Welsh (), and Sardinian language, Sardinian. It ...

, the Romanian name for

John the Baptist John the Baptist ( – ) was a Jewish preacher active in the area of the Jordan River in the early first century AD. He is also known as Saint John the Forerunner in Eastern Orthodoxy and Oriental Orthodoxy, John the Immerser in some Baptist ...

(Ioan Botezătorul). Common diminutives are Ionel and

Ionuț Ionuț is a Romanian language, Romanian masculine given name. The English equivalent is Johnny. Notable persons with that name include: * Ionuț Andrei (born 1985), Romanian bobsledder * Ionuț Badea (born 1975), Romanian footballer * Ionuț Băl ...

. Its female form is Ioana. The

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 ...

Ionescu is derived from Ion. However, Ion can also be a surname in Romanian. The "Ion" spelling is also used as a male forename in the

Basque language Basque ( ; ) is a language spoken by Basques and other residents of the Basque Country (greater region), Basque Country, a region that straddles the westernmost Pyrenees in adjacent parts of northern Spain and southwestern France. Basque ...

, again as a cognate of "John" and sometimes used interchangeably with "Jon". Notable people given name Ion include: *

Ion of Chios Ion of Chios (; ; c. 490/480 – c. 420 BC) was a Greek writer, dramatist, lyric poet and philosopher. He was a contemporary of Aeschylus, Euripides and Sophocles. Of his many plays and poems only a few titles and fragments have survived. He also ...

(c. 490/480–c. 420 BC), Greek writer, dramatist, lyric poet and philosopher *

Ion Agârbiceanu Ion Agârbiceanu (first name also Ioan, last name also Agărbiceanu and Agîrbiceanu; 12 September 1882 – 28 May 1963) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian writer, journalist, politician, theologian and Greek-Catholic priest. Born among the ...

(1882–1963), Romanian writer and priest * Ion Ansotegi (born 1982), Spanish footballer * Ion Andreescu (1850–1882), Romanian painter *

Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and Mareșal (Romania), marshal who presided over two successive Romania during World War II, wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister of Romania, Prime Minister and ''Conduc� ...

(1882–1946), Romanian soldier, authoritarian politician and convicted war criminal * Ion Aramendi (born 1977), Spanish basketballer * Ion Barbu (disambiguation) * Ion C. Brătianu (1821–1891), Romanian statesman * Ion I. C. Brătianu (1864–1927), Romanian politician, five-term Prime Minister of Romania, son of Ion C. Brătianu *

Ion Budai-Deleanu Ion Budai-Deleanu (January 6, 1760 – August 24, 1820) was a Romanian scholar, philologist, historian, poet, and a representative of the Transylvanian School. He was a member of the Order of the Golden and Rosy Cross, attending the society's ...

(1760–1820), Romanian scholar, philologist, historian, and poet * Ion Călugăru (1902–1956), Romanian novelist, short story writer, journalist and critic *

Ion Luca Caragiale Ion Luca Caragiale (; According to his birth certificate, published and discussed by Constantin Popescu-Cadem in ''Manuscriptum'', Vol. VIII, Nr. 2, 1977, pp. 179–184 – 9 June 1912), commonly referred to as I. L. Caragiale, was a Romanians, ...

(1852–1912), Wallachian-born Romanian playwright, short story writer, poet, theater manager, political commentator and journalist * Ion Caramitru (1942–2021), Romanian actor, stage director and politician * Ion Codreanu (1891–1960), Romanian general in World War II * Ion Constantinescu (1896–?), Romanian general in World War II * Ion Creangă (1837 or 1839–1889), Moldavian, later Romanian writer, raconteur and schoolteacher * Ion Dolănescu (1944–2009), Romanian singer and politician * Ion Dragalina (1860–1916), Romanian First World War general * Ion Dragoumis (1878–1920), Greek diplomat, philosopher, writer and revolutionary * Ion Druță (born 1928), Moldovan writer * Ion G. Duca (1879–1933), assassinated Prime Minister of Romania * Ion Echaide (born 1988), Spanish footballer * Ion Farris (1878–1934), American politician and attorney * Ion Foti (1887–1946), Romanian poet * Ion Emanuel Florescu (1819–1893), Romanian general, twice briefly Prime Minister of Romania * Ion Garmendia (born 1979), Spanish musician *

Ion Ghica Ion Ghica (; 12 August 1816 – 7 May 1897) was a Romanian statesman, mathematician, diplomat and politician, who was Prime Minister of Romania five times. He was a full list of members of the Romanian Academy, member of the Romanian Academy an ...

(1816–1897), Romanian revolutionary, mathematician, diplomat and politician, five-time prime minister of Romania * Ion Gigurtu (1886–1959), Romanian politician, officer, engineer and industrialist, briefly Prime Minister of Romania * Ion Hamilton, 1st Baron HolmPatrick (1839–1898), Anglo-Irish Member of Parliament * Ion Llewellyn Idriess (1890–1979), a prolific and influential Australian author *

Ion Iliescu Ion Iliescu (; born 3 March 1930) is a Romanian politician and engineer who served as the second president of Romania from 1989 until 1996 and from 2000 until 2004. Between 1996 and 2000 and also from 2004 to 2008, the year in which he retired, ...

(born 1930), twice president of Romania * Ion Inculeț (1884–1940), Bessarabian politician and President of the Moldavian Democratic Republic * Ion Ionescu de la Brad (1818–1891), born Ion Isăcescu, Moldavian, later Romanian revolutionary, agronomist, statistician, scholar and writer * Ion Ionuț Luțu (born 1975), Romanian footballer * Ion Izagirre (born 1989), Spanish cyclist * Ion Jalea (1887–1983), Romanian sculptor *

Ion Jinga Ion Jinga (born 1 September 1961) is a Romanian diplomat working in the Romanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 1992. Between 9 April 2003 and 7 March 2008 he served as the Romanian Ambassador to the Kingdom of Belgium and between 7 March 20 ...

(born 1961), Romanian diplomat * Ion Luchianov (born 1981), Moldovan athlete * I. C. Massim (1825–1877), linguist and a founding member of the Romanian Academy *

Ion Gheorghe Maurer Ion Gheorghe Maurer (; 23 September 1902 – 8 February 2000) was a Romanian communist politician and lawyer, and the 49th Prime Minister of Romania. He is the longest serving Prime Minister in the history of Romania (having served for 12 ...

(1902–2000), Romanian communist politician and lawyer *

Ion Mihalache Ion Mihalache (; March 3, 1882 – February 5, 1963) was a Romanian Agrarianism, agrarian politician, the founder and leader of the Peasants' Party (Romania), Peasants' Party (PȚ) and a main figure of its successor, the National Peasants' Party ( ...

(1882–1963), Romanian agrarian politician *

Ion Mincu Ion Mincu (; December 20, 1852 – December 6, 1912 in Bucharest) was a Romanian architect known for having a leading role in the development of the Romanian Revival style. Most of his projects are located in Bucharest, including his main work ...

(1852–1912), Romanian architect, engineer, professor and politician * Ion Minulescu (1881–1944), Romanian avant-garde poet, writer, journalist, literary critic and playwright * Ion Miu (born 1955), Romanian musician * Ion Moța (1902—1937), Romanian nationalist, deputy leader of the Iron Guard * Ion Negoițescu (1921–1993), Romanian literary historian, critic, poet, novelist and memoirist * Ion Nistor (1876–1962), Romanian historian and politician * Ion Ion (footballer) (born 1954), Romanian former footballer *

Ion Mihai Pacepa Ion Mihai Pacepa (; 28 October 1928 – 14 February 2021) was a Romanian lieutenant general in the Securitate, the secret police of the Socialist Republic of Romania, who defected to the United States in July 1978 following President Jimmy Carte ...

(1928–2021), Romanian security police three-star general who defected to the United States * Ion Perdicaris (1840–1925), Greek-American playboy who was the centre of a notable kidnapping known as the Perdicaris incident *

Ion Heliade Rădulescu Ion Heliade Rădulescu or Ion Heliade (also known as ''Eliade'' or ''Eliade Rădulescu''; ; 6 January 1802 – 27 April 1872) was a Wallachian, later Romanian academic, Romanticism, Romantic and Classicism, Classicist poet, essayist, memoi ...

(1802–1872), Wallachian, later Romanian academic, Romantic and Classicist poet, writer, newspaper editor and politician * Ion A. Rădulescu-Pogoneanu (1870–1945), Romanian pedagogue * I. M. Rașcu (1890–1971), Romanian poet, cultural promoter, comparatist and schoolteacher * Ion Roată (1806–1882), Moldavian, later Romanian peasant and politician * Ion Sân-Giorgiu (1893–1950), Romanian poet, dramatist, essayist, literary and art critic, journalist, academic and politician * Ion Dezideriu Sîrbu (1919–1989), Romanian philosopher, novelist, essayist and dramatist * Ion Șiugariu (1914–1945), Romanian poet *

Ion Tănăsescu (chemist) Ion Tănăsescu (also Ioan) (February 23, 1892 – December 28, 1959) was a Romanian chemist. He discovered the Lehmstedt-Tanasescu reaction, which was improved by Kurt Lehmstedt. He studied at the University of Bucharest and the Universit ...

(1892–1959) * Ion Tănăsescu (surgeon) (1875–1954) * Ion Testemițanu (born 1974), Moldovan former footballer and current assistant manager of the Moldovan national football team *

Ion Țiriac Ion Țiriac (; born 9 May 1939), also known as the "Brașov Bulldozer", is a Romanian businessman and former professional tennis and ice hockey player. He has been president of the Romanian Tennis Federation. A former singles top 10 player o ...

(born 1939), Romanian businessman and former tennis player *

Ion Trewin Ion Courtenay Gill Trewin (13 July 1943 – 8 April 2015) was a British editor, publisher and author. Biography Born in London, the son of J. C. Trewin and Wendy Trewin (''née'' Monk), Ion Trewin was educated at Highgate School. He was the l ...

(1943–2015), British editor and author * Ion Țuculescu (1910–1962), Romanian painter * Ion Țurai (1907–1970), Romanian surgeon * Ion Vélez (born 1985), Spanish footballer * Ion Voinescu (1929–2018), Romanian football goalkeeper

See also