Jan is a form of

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 ...

that is used in various languages. (See the “Other names” section in this page's infobox for more variants.) The name is used in Afrikaans, Belarusian, Circassian, Catalan, Cornish, Croatian, Czech, English (especially in Devon dialect), Dutch, German, Kazakh, Polish, Slovak, Slovenian, Scandinavian and Finnic languages. It is the most prevalent in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...

. In English, the name "Jan" is related to "John", but is a shortened form of the first names

Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psychologist and psychotherapist * Maur ...

, Janice, or January, with corresponding pronunciation. It has a separate origin in Persian,

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 ...

, and

Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian diaspora, Armenian communities around the ...

Netherlands and Flanders

In the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

and

Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...

, the name used to be one of the most popular given first names. From the 1950s, the occurrence of the name decreased. In 2014, no more than 3% of the boys are given this name. However, it still is one of the most widely distributed names. It is also the most common name of Dutch players in the Netherlands national football team. The name Jan is sometimes combined with another first name, such as in Jan Peter (for instance in

Jan Peter Balkenende Jan Pieter Balkenende Jr. ( ; born 7 May 1956), commonly known as Jan Peter Balkenende, is a Dutch jurist and politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) who served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from 22 July 2002 to 14 October 20 ...

), or in Klaas Jan (for instance in Klaas Jan Huntelaar). Very rarely the name Jan is given to a girl, as variants like ''Jann'', ''Jannie'', ''Janneke'' or ''Jantje'' are more common. Because it used to be so common, it found its way into many expressions still widely used today, even though the popularity of the name itself has faded. "Jan met de pet", literally "Jan wearing a cap", signifies the common man; and "Jan en alleman", literally "Jan and everyman", signifies a large group of people, often used when referring to a cross-section of society.

Yankee

Yankee was the nickname that the British colonists gave to the inhabitants of the Dutch colony of

New Netherland New Netherland () was a colony of the Dutch Republic located on the East Coast of what is now the United States. The claimed territories extended from the Delmarva Peninsula to Cape Cod. Settlements were established in what became the states ...

. One also often hears just "Yank" colloquially. The exact origin of the word is not exactly known. It is said that the word originated from the Dutch names Jan and Kees. Other possible origins are sought in Jan-Kaas, a name that referred to the fact that the Dutch settlers were known for their cheese. A third possibility is that the word is derived from Janneke, the diminutive form of Jan. The Dutch J and English Y are pronounced the same way when they are used in a word, so not as a separate letter. Another theory is the bastardized pronunciation of English by Native Americans. Compare with

pidgin A pidgin , or pidgin language, is a grammatically simplified form of contact language that develops between two or more groups of people that do not have a language in common: typically, its vocabulary and grammar are limited and often drawn f ...

(to business) and

Kiribati Kiribati, officially the Republic of Kiribati, is an island country in the Micronesia subregion of Oceania in the central Pacific Ocean. Its permanent population is over 119,000 as of the 2020 census, and more than half live on Tarawa. The st ...

Islands (to

Gilbert Islands The Gilbert Islands (;Reilly Ridgell. ''Pacific Nations and Territories: The Islands of Micronesia, Melanesia, and Polynesia.'' 3rd. Ed. Honolulu: Bess Press, 1995. p. 95. formerly Kingsmill or King's-Mill IslandsVery often, this name applied o ...

). Later, Yankee became a nickname for the residents of upstate New York and neighboring New England. Today, the people of New York and New England use the word Yankee as a nickname. One of New York's professional baseball teams is called the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...

People (first name)

Jan (ispán) Jan was a Hungarian nobleman and military general in the second half of the 11th century. He played a decisive role in the royal campaign against the Byzantine Empire in 1071. Biography Jan (also Ian or John) elevated into the position of ''ispá ...

(fl. 1071), Hungarian noble

A–F

Jan Akkerman Jan Akkerman (born 24 December 1946) is a Dutch guitarist. He first found international commercial success with the band Focus (band), Focus, which he co-founded with Thijs van Leer. After leaving Focus, he continued as a solo musician, adding ja ...

(born 1946), Dutch rock musician *

Jan Baalsrud Jan Sigurd Baalsrud, MBE (13 December 1917 – 30 December 1988) was a commando in the Norwegian resistance trained by the British during World War II. Biography Early life Jan Baalsrud was born in Kristiania (now Oslo), Norway and moved ...

(1917–1988), Norwegian commando *

(born 1956), Dutch politician and former prime minister of the Netherlands *

Jan Baudouin de Courtenay Jan Niecisław Ignacy Baudouin de Courtenay, also Ivan Alexandrovich Baudouin de Courtenay (; 13 March 1845 – 3 November 1929), was a Polish linguist and Slavic studies, Slavist, best known for his theory of the phoneme and allophone, phoneti ...

(1845–1929), Polish linguist and Slavist * Jan Bednarek (born 1996), Polish professional footballer * Jan van Bemmel (born 1938), Dutch medical informatician *

Jan Bertels Jan Bertels (born 21 November 1968) is a Belgium, Belgian politician and member of the Chamber of Representatives (Belgium), Chamber of Representatives. A member of Vooruit (political party), Vooruit, he has represented Antwerp (Chamber of Repres ...

(born 1968), Belgian politician *

Jan Krzysztof Bielecki Jan Krzysztof Bielecki (born 3 May 1951) is a Polish liberal politician and economist. A leading figure of the Gdańsk-based Liberal Democratic Congress in the early 1990s, Bielecki served as Prime Minister of Poland for most of 1991. In his p ...

(born 1951), Polish liberal politician and economist, former Prime Minister of Poland *

Jan Björklund Jan Arne Björklund (born 18 April 1962) is a Swedish Liberals (Sweden), Liberal politician. He was a member of the Riksdag from 2006 to 2019, representing Stockholm County (Riksdag constituency), Stockholm County, and served as leader of the Lib ...

(born 1962), Swedish politician *

Jan Błachowicz Jan Maciej Błachowicz (; born 24 February 1983) is a Polish professional mixed martial artist. He currently competes in the Light Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is a former UFC Light Heavyweight Champ ...

(born 1983), Polish professional mixed martial artist *

Jan Boháček Jan Boháček (born February 25, 1969) is a Czech Republic, Czech former professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently head coach of HC Řisuty of the 2nd Czech Republic Hockey League. Boháček played in the Czechoslovak First Ice Hockey L ...

(born 1969), Czech ice hockey player *

Jan de Bont Jan de Bont (; born 22 October 1943) is a Dutch former cinematographer, film director, and film producer. He is best known for directing the action films ''Speed (1994 film), Speed'' (1994) and ''Twister (1996 film), Twister'' (1996). As a direct ...

(born 1943), Dutch cinematographer, producer, and film director *

Jan Borgman Jan Borgman (30 November 1929 - May 26, 2021) was a Dutch astronomer and university administrator. He was professor of astronomical observation technique at the University of Groningen from 1968 to 1988. During this period he served as rector magn ...

(1929–2021), Dutch astronomer *

Jan Brewer Janice Kay Brewer (''née'' Drinkwine; born September 26, 1944) is an American politician who served as the 22nd governor of Arizona from 2009 to 2015, as a member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party. Prior to this, Brewer ...

(born 1944), former governor of

Arizona Arizona is a U.S. state, state in the Southwestern United States, Southwestern region of the United States, sharing the Four Corners region of the western United States with Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah. It also borders Nevada to the nort ...

Jan Broberg Jan Broberg Felt is an American actress, singer, dancer, and kidnapping survivor. As a child, Broberg was kidnapped on two occasions by a family friend, at ages 12 and 14. The experience has been documented in her mother Mary Ann Broberg's book, ...

(born 1962), American actress, singer, dancer and twice victim of kidnapping by a family friend. * Jan Buijs (1889–1961), Dutch architect *

Jan Bytnar Jan Roman Bytnar, ''nom de guerre'' "Rudy" (''Ginger'') (born 6 May 1921, Kolbuszowa, Poland – died 30 March 1943, Warsaw, Poland) was a Polish scoutmaster, a member of Polish scouting anti-Nazi resistance, and a lieutenant in the Home Army du ...

(1921–1943), Polish anti-Nazi resistance fighter *

Jan Choinski Jan Choinski (; born 10 June 1996 in Germany) is a German-born Polish-British tennis player who competes mainly on the ATP Challenger Tour. Choinski has a career high ATP singles ranking of world No. 126, achieved on 21 August 2023. Since 2019, ...

(born 1996), British tennis player *

Jan Cremer Johan Cremer (; 20 April 1940 – 19 June 2024) was a Dutch author, photographer and painter. His best known work is the novel ' ("I, Jan Cremer"; 1964) and the sequel ''Ik, Jan Cremer, tweede boek'' ("I, Jan Cremer, second book"; 1966). The pub ...

(born 1940), Dutch author and painter *

Jan Czekanowski Jan Czekanowski (October 8, 1882, Głuchów – July 20, 1965, Szczecin) was a Polish anthropologist, statistician, ethnographer, traveller, and linguist. He was one of the first persons to use quantitative methods in linguistics. Czekanowski p ...

(1882–1965), Polish anthropologist, statistician, ethnographer, traveller, and linguist * Jan Czerlinski (born 1967), Czech ice hockey player *

Jan Czerski Jan Stanisław Franciszek Czerski, also known as Ivan Dementievich Chersky () or Yan Dominikovich Chersky (; – ), was a Polish, Belarusian, and Russian paleontologist, osteologist, geologist, geographer and explorer of Siberia. He was exi ...

(1845–1892), Polish paleontologist, osteologist, geologist, geographer and explorer of

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

Jan Czochralski Jan Czochralski (; 23 October 1885 – 22 April 1953) was a Polish chemist who invented the Czochralski method, which is used for growing single crystals and in the production of semiconductor wafers. It is still used in over 90 percent of all ...

(1885–1953), Polish chemist *

Jan Henryk Dąbrowski Jan Henryk Dąbrowski (; also known as Johann Heinrich Dąbrowski (Dombrowski) in German and Jean Henri Dombrowski in French; 2 August 1755 – 6 June 1818) was a Polish general and statesman, widely respected after his death for his patri ...

(1755–1818), Polish general and statesman *

Jan Derbyshire Jan "JD" Derbyshire is a Canadian theatre artist, comedian, and writer. They have performed their one-person show, ''Certified'', across Canada, including in Vancouver where it won two Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. Early life and education ...

, Canadian writer and comedian *

Jan Dijkstra Jan Dijkstra (14 April 1910, Lemmer – 22 November 1993) was a Dutch politician. He was a member of the Christelijk-Historische Unie. For a few months in 1945, he was mayor of Wonseradeel. In December 1945, he succeeded Kornelis van der Vlis ...

(1910–1993), Dutch mayor *

Jan Domarski Jan Andrzej Domarski (born 28 October 1946) is a Polish former footballer and bronze-medal winner in the 1974 World Cup tournament in Germany. A midfielder, he played in seventeen matches for the Poland national team and was a double-champion ...

(born 1946), Polish footballer *

Jan Drenth Jan Drenth (20 February 1925 – 11 February 2025) was a Dutch chemist. He was a professor of structural chemistry at the University of Groningen from 1969 to 1990. Life and career Drenth was born in Groningen on 20 February 1925. He obtained his ...

(1925–2025), Dutch chemist *

Jan-Krzysztof Duda Jan-Krzysztof Duda (; born 26 April 1998) is a Polish Grandmaster (chess), chess grandmaster. A Chess prodigy, prodigy, he achieved the grandmaster title in 2013 at the age of 15 years and . he is ranked No. 1 in Poland and No. 17 in the FIDE w ...

(born 1998), Polish chess grandmaster *

Jan Egeland Jan Egeland (born 12 September 1957) is a Norwegian diplomat, political scientist, humanitarian leader, and former Labour Party politician who has been Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council since 2013. He served as State Secretary ...

(born 1957), former UN humanitarian official, from

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

Jan Enquist Rear Admiral Jan Fredrik Enquist (3 August 1925 – 21 August 2005) was a Swedish Navy officer. Enquist's senior commands include as Commander-in-Chief of the Coastal Fleet from 1982 to 1985 and as Commanding Admiral of the Western Military Distr ...

(1925–2005), Swedish Navy rear admiral * Jan Erixon (born 1962), Swedish former professional hockey player *

Jan Evangelista Purkyně Jan Evangelista Purkyně (; also written Johann Evangelist Purkinje) (17 or 18 December 1787 – 28 July 1869) was a Czech anatomist and physiologist. In 1839, he coined the term " protoplasma" for the fluid substance of a cell. He was one of th ...

(1787–1869), Czech anatomist, and physiologist, discoverer of Purkinje cells

F–L

Jan Fedder Jan Fedder (; 14 January 1955 – 30 December 2019) was a German actor, born in Hamburg. He was best known for his role as police officer Dirk Matthies in the German television show '' Großstadtrevier''. He was also known for his role as the cr ...

(1955–2019), German actor *

Jan Fontein Jan Fontein (22 May 1927 – 19 May 2017) was a Dutch art historian and former museum director. From 1966 to 1992 he served as curator of Asiatic art at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Fontein was its director from 1975 to 1987. Career Fontein was ...

(1927–2017), Dutch art historian *

Jan Frodeno Jan Frodeno (; born 18 August 1981) is a German former triathlete who is the gold medal winner in men's triathlon at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, 3-time winner of the Ironman World Championship in 2015, 2016, and 2019, and 2-time winner ...

(born 1981), German triathlete *

Jan Garbarek Jan Garbarek () (born 4 March 1947) is a Norwegian jazz saxophonist, who is also active in classical music and world music. Garbarek was born in Mysen, Østfold, southeastern Norway, the only child of a former Polish prisoner of war, Czesław Gar ...

(born 1947), Norwegian jazz saxophonist * Jan Geersing (1940–2021), Dutch politician * Jan E. Goldstein (born 1946), Norman and Edna Freehling Professor of History at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

. * Jan van Gooswilligen (1935–2008), Dutch field hockey player * Jan van der Graaf (1937–2022), Dutch church administrator *

Jan Grabowski Jan Zbigniew Grabowski (born June 24, 1962) is a Polish-Canadian professor of history at the University of Ottawa, specializing in Jewish–Polish relations in German-occupied Poland during World War II and the Holocaust in Poland.

(born 1962), Polish-Canadian historian *

Jan Guillou Jan Oskar Sverre Lucien Henri Guillou (, ; born 17 January 1944) is a French-Swedish author and journalist. Guillou's fame in Sweden was established during his time as an investigative journalist, most notably in 1973 when he and co-reporter Pet ...

(born 1944), Swedish journalist and author *

Jan-Gunnar Isberg Brigadier General Jan-Gunnar Isberg (7 April 1947 – 14 December 2022) was a Swedish Army officer. Isberg has served extensively abroad, in Cyprus, Lebanon, Yugoslavia, Macedonia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Afghanistan and the Democratic ...

(1947–2022), Swedish brigadier general *

Jan Gunnar Røise Jan Gunnar Røise (born 24 September 1975) is a Norwegian actor. He was born in Eidsvoll, and took his education at the Norwegian National Academy of Theatre. He made his stage debut in 2000 at the National Theatre, and has been employed there ...

(born 1975), Norwegian actor *

Jan Gustafsson Jan Gustafsson (born 25 June 1979) is a German chess player, analyst and trainer. He was awarded the title Grandmaster by FIDE in 2003. He co-founded the Chess24.com website, for which he frequently appeared as a broadcaster and commentator. ...

(born 1979), German chess Grandmaster *

Jan Hammer Jan Hammer () (born 17 April 1948) is a Czech-American musician, composer, and record producer. He rose to prominence while playing keyboards with the Mahavishnu Orchestra during the early 1970s, as well as with his film scores for television an ...

(born 1948), Czech musician *

Jan de Hartog Jan de Hartog (April 22, 1914 – September 22, 2002) was a Dutch playwright, novelist and occasional social critic who moved to the United States in the early 1960s and became a Quaker. Early life In 1914, Jan de Hartog was born to a D ...

(1914–2002), Dutch writer * Jan Heweliusz (1611–1687), Polish astronomer * Jan van Hooff (born 1936), Dutch biologist *

Jan Hooks Janet Vivian Hooks (April 23, 1957 – October 9, 2014) was an American actress and comedian. She was best known for her tenure on the NBC sketch comedy series ''Saturday Night Live'', where she was a repertory player from 1986 to 1991. After le ...

(1957–2014), American actress *

Jan Howard Jan Howard (born Lula Grace Johnson; March 13, 1929 – March 28, 2020) was an American author and country music singer and songwriter. As a singer, she placed 30 singles on the ''Billboard (magazine), Billboard'' Hot Country Songs, country song ...

(1929–2020), American country music singer * Jan Hron (born 1941), Czech agroscientist, Rector of University of Life Sciences Prague * Jan Huitema (born 1984), Dutch politician *

Jan Hus Jan Hus (; ; 1369 – 6 July 1415), sometimes anglicized as John Hus or John Huss, and referred to in historical texts as ''Iohannes Hus'' or ''Johannes Huss'', was a Czechs, Czech theologian and philosopher who became a Church reformer and t ...

(burned 1415), Czech religious reformer * Jan Jacobsz May, Dutch seafarer and explorer *

Jan Jagla Jan-Hendrik Jagla (born 25 June 1981) is a former German professional basketball player. Though he stands 7 feet tall, Jagla has the game of a 2-guard, and his game somewhat resembles that of Dirk Nowitzki. Jagla was also known to be a point forwa ...

(born 1981), German basketball player * Jan Mohammad Jamali, Afghan politician *

Jan Jagodzinski Jan Jagodzinski (born 1948) is a Canadian scholar and Professor Emeritus of Visual Arts and Media Education at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. He spells his name in lowercase. Education and academic career In 1977, Jagodzinski beca ...

(born 1948), Canadian scholar *

Jan Janský Jan Janský (; 3 April 1873 – 8 September 1921) was a Czech serologist, neurologist and psychiatrist. He is credited with the classification of blood into four types (I, II, III, IV). Life and education Janský was born on 3 April 1873 in ...

(1873–1921), Czech scientist, first classified 4 blood types *

Jan Johnson Jan Johnson (November 11, 1950 – February 23, 2025) was an American athlete who competed mainly in the pole vault. He graduated in 1972 from the University of Alabama, where he holds the school record in the pole vault at . Johnson was born i ...

(1950–2025), American athlete * Jan Jonsson (1952–2021), Swedish Air Force officer * Jan O. Jonsson, Swedish sociologist * Jan Kalvoda, (born 1953), Czech politician and lawyer *

Jan Karski Jan Karski (born Jan Kozielewski, 24 June 1914 – 13 July 2000) was a Polish soldier, Polish resistance movement in World War II, resistance-fighter, and diplomat during World War II. He is known for having acted as a courier in 1940–1943 to ...

(1914–2000), Polish soldier, resistance-fighter, and diplomat * Jan Kefer (1906–1941), Czech theurgist, astrologist and occult writer *

Jan Kerouac Janet Michelle "Jan" Kerouac (February 16, 1952 – June 5, 1996) was an American writer and the only child of beat generation author Jack Kerouac and Joan Haverty Kerouac. Early life and career Janet Michelle Kerouac was born a few months af ...

(1952-1996), American novelist * Jan Mohammed Khan (died 2011), Afghan politician *

Jan Kickert Jan Kickert (born 19 September 1964) is an Austrian diplomat, currently serving as Austrian Ambassador in Rome. Previously, he served as the Austrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations and political director at the Austrian Minist ...

(born 1964), Austrian Permanent Representative to the United Nations *

Jan Koller Jan Koller (; born 30 March 1973) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as a forward. He was noted for his height, strong physique and heading ability. He began his career at Sparta Prague, then moved to Belgium, where he beca ...

(born 1973), Czech footballer *

Jan Amos Komenský John Amos Comenius (; ; ; ; Latinized: ''Ioannes Amos Comenius''; 28 March 1592 – 15 November 1670) was a Czech philosopher, pedagogue and theologian who is considered the father of modern education. He served as the last bishop of the Unit ...

(1592–1670), Czech teacher, scientist, educator, and writer *

Jan O. Korbel Jan O. Korbel (born 1975) is a German scientist working in the fields of human genetics, genomics and computational biology. He is the Interim Head of Site of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) site in Heidelberg, Germany. Educati ...

(born 1975), German biologist * Jan Korte (footballer) (born 1956), Dutch footballer and manager * Jan Korte (politician) (born 1977), German politician *

Jan Köstering Jan Tobias Köstering (born 22 October 1997) is a German politician and member of the Bundestag. A member of The Left, he has represented North Rhine-Westphalia since March 2025. Köstering was born on 22 October 1997 in Ratingen. He was educa ...

(born 1997), German politician *

Jan Koum Jan Borysovych Koum (born February 24, 1976) is a Ukrainian-American billionaire businessman and computer programmer. He is the co-founder and former CEO of WhatsApp, a mobile messaging app which was acquired by Facebook in 2014 for US$19.3 bil ...

(born 1976), Ukrainian ex. software infrastructure engineer, creator of WhatsApp *

Jan Kubiš Jan Kubiš (24 June 1913 – 18 June 1942) was a Czech soldier, one of a team of Czechoslovak British-trained paratroopers sent to eliminate acting Reichsprotektor (Realm-Protector) of Bohemia and Moravia, SS-''Obergruppenführer'' Reinhard H ...

(1913–1942), Czech soldier *

Jan Kubíček Jan Kubíček (30 December 1927 – 14 October 2013) was a Czech painter and printmaker, and one of the most radical Central European exponents of Constructivism (art), constructivist and concrete art, concrete art. He also spent more than a decade ...

(1927–2013), Czech painter *

Jan Kulczyk Jan Jerzy Kulczyk (24 June 1950 – 29 July 2015) was a Polish billionaire businessman. He was the founder and owner of Kulczyk Holding (headquartered in Warsaw) and an international investment house Kulczyk Investments (former name: Kulczyk Inve ...

(1950–2015), Polish billionaire businessman *

Jan Kvalheim Jan Kvalheim (born 5 February 1963, Skien) is a former beach volleyball player from Norway, who represented his native country in two consecutive Summer Olympics: 1996 and 2000. Alongside Bjørn Maaseide he won several medals at the European Cha ...

(born 1963), Norwegian beach volleyball player *

Jan Laštůvka Jan Laštůvka (born 7 July 1982) is a former Czech professional footballer who last played as a goalkeeper for Baník Ostrava. Career Laštůvka was born in Havířov. He started his career at Czech side FC Karviná and moved in summer 2000 to ...

(born 1982), Czech footballer * Jan Lisiecki (born 1995), Polish-Canadian pianist *

Jan Lucemburský John of Bohemia, also called the Blind or of Luxembourg (; ; ; 10 August 1296 – 26 August 1346), was the Count of Luxembourg from 1313 and King of Bohemia from 1310 and titular King of Poland. He is well known for having died while fighting ...

(1296–1346), king of Bohemia *

Jan Łaski Jan Łaski or Johannes à Lasco (1499 – 8 January 1560) was a Polish Calvinist reformer. Owing to his influential work in England (1548–1553) during the English Reformation, he is known to the English-speaking world by the Anglicised form ...

(1499–1560), Polish Calvinist reformer *

Jan Łukasiewicz Jan Łukasiewicz (; 21 December 1878 – 13 February 1956) was a Polish logician and philosopher who is best known for Polish notation and Łukasiewicz logic. His work centred on philosophical logic, mathematical logic and history of logi ...

(1878–1956), Polish logician and philosopher

M–Z

Jan Martín Jan Fernando Martín Sonneborn (; born November 20, 1984) is a former professional basketball player with three nationalities, Spanish, German, and Israeli. In his career, he has played at three different positions, center, power forward and sm ...

(born 1984), German-Israeli-Spanish basketball player *

Jan Masaryk Jan Garrigue Masaryk (14 September 1886 – 10 March 1948) was a Czech diplomat and politician who served as the Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia from 1940 to 1948. American journalist John Gunther described Masaryk as "a brave, honest, turbule ...

(1886–1948), Czech diplomat and politician *

Jan Matejko Jan Alojzy Matejko (; also known as Jan Mateyko; 24 June 1838 – 1 November 1893) was a Polish painter, a leading 19th-century exponent of history painting, known for depicting nodal events from Polish history. His works include large scale ...

(1838–1893), Polish painter *

Jan Matulka Jan Matulka (7 November 1890 – 25 June 1972) was a Czech-American modern artist originally from Bohemia. Matulka's style ranged from Abstract expressionism to landscapes, sometimes in the same day. He has directly influenced artists like Dor ...

(1890–1972), Czech-American painter *

Jan Mazurkiewicz Jan Mazurkiewicz, pseudonym: "Zagłoba", "Socha", "Sęp", "Radosław" (27 August 1896 – 4 May 1988) was a Polish military leader and politician, colonel of Home Army and brigadier general of the Polish People's Army. Founder of the Secret Mil ...

(1896–1988), Polish military leader and politician *

Jan Močnik Jan Močnik (born 27 March 1987) is a Slovenian professional basketball player. Professional career Močnik grew up in Nova Gorica, where he played for local team CPG Nova Gorica, Nova Gorica in the second national league of Slovenia. He left CP ...

(born 1987), Slovenian basketball player *

Jan Morris Catharine Jan MorrisJan Morris, Paul Clements, University of Wales Press, 2008, p. 7 (born James Humphry Morris; 2 October 192620 November 2020) was a Welsh historian, author and travel writer. She was known particularly for the '' Pax Brita ...

(born 1963), Welsh historian, author and travel writer. *

Jan Mølby Jan Mølby (; born 4 July 1963) is a Danish former professional footballer and manager. As a player, he was a midfielder from 1982 to 1998. After starting his career with Kolding, he moved on to Ajax before spending twelve years playing in Engl ...

(born 1963), Danish footballer. *

Jan Murray Jan Murray (born Murray Janofsky; October 4, 1916 – July 2, 2006) was an American stand-up comedian, actor, and game-show host who originally made his name on the Borscht Belt and later was known for his frequent television appearances over se ...

(1916–2006), American stand-up comedian *

Jan Mycielski Jan Mycielski (Polish: ; February 7, 1932 – January 18, 2025) was a Polish-American mathematician, logician and philosopher, who was a professor of mathematics at the University of Colorado at Boulder. He is known for contributions to graph th ...

(born 1932), Polish-American mathematician *

Jan Nagórski Alfons Jan Nagórski (1888–1976), also known as ''Ivan Iosifovich Nagurski'', was a Polish engineer and pioneer of aviation, the first person to fly an airplane in the Arctic and the first aviator to perform a loop with a flying boat. Bi ...

(1888–1976), Polish engineer and pioneer of aviation *

Jan Nepomucký John of Nepomuk (or John Nepomucene) (; ; ) ( 1345 – 20 March 1393) was a saint of Bohemia (a western part of what is now the Czech Republic) who was drowned in the Vltava river at the behest of King Wenceslaus IV of Bohemia. Later accounts st ...

(c. 1345–1393), Czech saint *

Jan Neruda Jan Nepomuk Neruda (Czech: �jan ˈnɛpomuk ˈnɛruda 10 July 1834 – 22 August 1891) was a Czech journalist, writer, poet and art critic; one of the most prominent representatives of Czech Realism and a member of the " May School". Early li ...

(1834–1891), Czech journalist, writer and poet *

Jan Nowak-Jeziorański Jan Nowak-Jeziorański (; 2 October 1914 – 20 January 2005) was a Polish journalist, writer, politician, social worker and patriot. He served during the Second World War as one of the most notable resistance fighters of the Home Army. He is b ...

(1914–2005), Polish journalist, writer, politician and social worker *

Jan Oblak Jan Oblak (born 7 January 1993) is a Slovenian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for club Atlético Madrid and captains the Slovenia national team. He is widely regarded as one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Oblak signed ...

(born 1993), Slovenian professional footballer (goalkeeper) *

Jan Oort Jan Hendrik Oort ( or ; 28 April 1900 – 5 November 1992) was a Dutch astronomer who made significant contributions to the understanding of the Milky Way and who was a pioneer in the field of radio astronomy. ''The New York Times'' called him ...

(1900–1992), Dutch astronomer * Jan Õun (born 1977), Estonian footballer *

Jan Palach Jan Palach (; 11 August 1948 – 19 January 1969) was a Czech student of history and political economics at Charles University in Prague. His self-immolation in 1969 at age 20 was a political protest against the end of the Prague Spring resul ...

(1948–1969), Czech student self-immolated in 1969 protesting against the Soviet invasion *

Jan Peerce Jan Peerce (born Yehoshua Pinkhes Perelmuth; June 3, 1904 December 15, 1984) was an American operatic tenor. Peerce was an accomplished performer on the operatic and Broadway concert stages, in solo recitals, and as a recording artist. He is ...

(1904-1984), American operatic

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

Jan Pieterszoon Coen Jan Pieterszoon Coen (; 8 January 1587 – 21 September 1629) was a Dutch naval officer of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) in the early 17th century, holding two terms as governor-general of the Dutch East Indies. He was the founder of ...

(1587–1629), officer of the Dutch East India Company * Jan Podebradský (born 1974), Czech decathlete *

Jan Polák Jan Polák (; born 14 March 1981) is a retired Czech footballer who played as a midfielder. His professional career spanned 22 years, during which he also played abroad for football clubs in Germany and Belgium. Polák also represented the Cze ...

(born 1981), Czech footballer *

Jan Potocki Count Jan Potocki (; 8 March 1761 – 23 December 1815) was a Polish nobleman, ethnologist, linguist, traveller and author of the Enlightenment period, whose life and exploits made him a celebrated figure in Poland. He is known chiefly for his ...

(1761–1815), Polish nobleman, novelist, ethnologist, linguist and traveller *

Jan Rabson Jan Rabson (June 14, 1954 – October 13, 2022) was an American actor. During his four-decade career, he appeared in over 100 titles. He frequently worked in voice over, including as Tetsuo Shima in the Streamline Pictures dub of the anime film ...

(1954–2022), American actor *

Jan Ravens Janet Ravens (born 14 May 1958) is an English actress and impressionist, known for her voice work on '' Spitting Image'' and '' Dead Ringers''. Early life Ravens grew up in Hoylake, then in Cheshire, on the west side of the Wirral with her f ...

(born 1958), English actress *

Jan Reehorst Jan Reehorst (21 March 1923 – 4 June 2024) was a Dutch politician. Life and career Reehorst became a member of the Labour Party in 1946. From 1953 until 1973, he was member of the municipal council of Rotterdam. Between 1956 and 1967, he was ...

(1923–2024), Dutch politician *

Jan van Riebeeck Johan Anthoniszoon "Jan" van Riebeeck (21 April 1619 – 18 January 1677) was a Dutch navigator, ambassador and colonial administrator of the Dutch East India Company. Life Early life Jan van Riebeeck was born in Culemborg on 21 April ...

(1619–1677), Dutch seafarer and explorer * Jan Rodowicz (1923–1949), Polish

Home Army The Home Army (, ; abbreviated AK) was the dominant resistance movement in German-occupied Poland during World War II. The Home Army was formed in February 1942 from the earlier Związek Walki Zbrojnej (Armed Resistance) established in the ...

soldier *

Jan Rubeš Jan Ladislav Rubeš Order of Canada, CM (6 June 1920 – 29 June 2009) was a Czechs, Czech-Canadians, Canadian bass (voice type), bass opera singer and actor. Life and career Rubeš was born in Volyně, Czechoslovakia, to Ružena (née Kel ...

(1920–2009), Czech-Canadian singer and actor * Jan van Ruiten (1931–2016), Dutch politician *

Jan Sladký Kozina Jan Sladký Kozina (10 September 1652 – 26 November 1695) was a Czechs, Czech revolutionary leader of the Chods peasant rebellion. Biography Jan Sladký Kozina was born on 10 September 1652 in Újezd (Domažlice District), Újezd. He was first ...

(1652–1695), Czech revolutionary leader of Chodové *

Jan Šimák Jan Šimák (born 13 October 1978) is a Czech former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. He spent most of his career in Germany while making one appearance for the Czech Republic national team. As a player, he was wel ...

(born 1978), Czech footballer *

Jan Smuts Field Marshal Jan Christian Smuts, (baptismal name Jan Christiaan Smuts, 24 May 1870 11 September 1950) was a South African statesman, military leader and philosopher. In addition to holding various military and cabinet posts, he served as P ...

(1870–1950), South African statesman * Jan Shearer (born 1958), New Zealand sailor *

Jan Sobieski John III Sobieski ( (); (); () 17 August 1629 – 17 June 1696) was King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696. Born into Polish nobility, Sobieski was educated at the Jagiellonian University and toured Eur ...

(1629–1696), King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1674 until his death in 1696 *

Jan Soukup Jan Soukup (born September 17, 1979) is a Czech karateka, the branch chief for International Karate Organization World Kyokushin Kaikan in Czech Republic, the president of the Czech Karate Kyokushinkai Association and the vice pres ...

(born 1979), Czech karateka and kickboxer *

Jan Staaf Jan Egon Staaf (born 11 January 1962 in Västerås) is a Swedish ex-race walker . He twice competed for his country at the Summer Olympics: in 1988 and 1996. Staaf set his personal best (1:22.37) in the men's 20 km walk event in 1997. Jan Sta ...

(born 1962), Swedish race walker * Jan Šťastný (c.1764–c.1830) was a Czech composer. * Jan Šťastný (canoeist) (born 1970), Czech canoeist *

Ján Šťastný (hockey player) Yan Pavol Stastny (born September 30, 1982) is a Canadian- American former professional ice hockey centre. He comes from the Slovak Stastny ice hockey family, and is the son of Hockey Hall of Famer Peter Šťastný (one of the first star East ...

(born 1982), Slovak hockey player *

Jan Steen Jan Havickszoon Steen ( – buried 3 February 1679) was a Dutch Golden Age painter, one of the leading genre painters of the 17th century. His works are known for their psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour. Life ...

(c.1626–1679), Dutch artist *

Jan Stenerud Jan Stenerud (, ; born November 26, 1942) is a Norwegian-American former professional football placekicker who played in the National Football League (NFL) and American Football League (AFL) for 19 seasons, primarily with the Kansas City Chiefs ...

(born 1942), Norwegian American football player *

Jan Paul Strid Jan Paul Strid (July 15, 1947 – December 25, 2018) was a Swedish toponymist who was Professor of Linguistics at Linköping University. Biography Strid received his PhD in Nordic languages from Stockholm University in 1981, where he was made a ...

(1947–2018), Swedish toponymist *

Jan Stussy Jan Stussy (1921–1990) was an American artist, film producer, and professor. He was a Emeritus, professor emeritus from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), he taught there for 42 years. He was awarded an Academy Awards, Academy Aw ...

(1921–1990), American artist *

Jan Swafford Jan Swafford (born September 10, 1946) is an American author and composer. He earned his Bachelor of Arts ''magna cum laude'' from Harvard College and his M.M.A. and D.M.A. from the Yale School of Music. His teachers included Earl Kim at Harvard, ...

, American writer and composer *

Jan Szczepanik Jan Szczepanik (June 13, 1872 – April 18, 1926) was a Polish inventor, with several hundred patents and over 50 discoveries to his name, many of which are still applied today, especially in the motion picture industry, as well as in photography ...

(1872–1926), Polish inventor * Jan Szymański (born 1989), Polish speed skater *

Jan Tomaszewski Jan Tomaszewski (Polish pronunciation: ; born 9 January 1948) is a Polish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper in the 1970s. He kept goal for the Poland national teams that came third at the 1974 World Cup, where he was na ...

(born 1948), Polish footballer *

Jan Ullrich Jan Ullrich (; born 2 December 1973) is a German former professional road bicycle racer. Ullrich won gold and silver medals in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia, Sydney. He won the 1999 Vuelta a España and the HEW Cyclassics in fro ...

(born 1973), German former professional road bicycle racer *

Jan van der Marck Jan van der Marck (19 August 192926 April 2010) was a Dutch Americans, Dutch-born American museum administrator, Art history, art historian, and curator, focused on modern and contemporary art. Van der Marck authored and published many essays, a ...

(1929–2010) Dutch-born American museum administrator, art historian, and curator. * Jan Van Loon, Dutch settler * Jan Veentjer (1938–2020), Dutch field hockey player * Jan Verroken (1917–2020), Belgian politician * Jan Versteegh (born 1985), Dutch game show host *

Jan Vertonghen Jan Bert Lieve Vertonghen (; born 24 April 1987) is a Belgian former professional footballer who played as a defender. Mainly a centre-back, he also played as a left-back. Vertonghen began his senior career at Dutch club Ajax in 2006, and total ...

(born 1987), Belgian footballer *

Jan Vesely Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

(born 1990), Czech basketball player *

Jan Erazim Vocel Jan Erazim Vocel (23 August 1802 – 16 September 1871) was a Czechs, Czech poet, archaeologist, historian and cultural revivalist. Though as heir to his father's trade, he was to become a baker, his parents, observing his youthful enthusiasm for ...

(1803–1871), Czech poet, archaeologist, historian and cultural revivalist * Jan Vetter (born 1963), lead singer of German punk band

Die Ärzte (; ) is a German rock band from Berlin. It consists of guitarist Farin Urlaub, drummer Bela B and bass player Rodrigo González (musician), Rodrigo González. All three write and perform their songs. The band has released 14 studio albums. ...

, commonly known as ''Farin Urlaub'' *

Jan Uuspõld Jan Uuspõld (born 14 December 1973) is an Estonian stage, television, radio and film actor and musician. Early life and music career Jan Uuspõld was born in Tallinn, the eldest of three sons of Ingar and Heidi Uuspõld. His mother is an accou ...

(born 1973), Estonian actor and musician *

Jan-Michael Vincent Jan-Michael Vincent (July 15, 1944 – February 10, 2019) was an American actor. He emerged as a leading man in the 1970s, playing notable roles in films like '' Going Home'' (1971), which earned him a Golden Globe nomination for Best Sup ...

(1944–2019), American actor * Jan Washausen (born 1988), German footballer *

Jan-Michael Williams Jan-Michael Grantley Williams (born 26 October 1984) is a Trinidadian football coach and former player who works as goalkeeper coach for HFX Wanderers. A former goalkeeper, he made 80 appearances for the Trinidad and Tobago national team and pla ...

(born 1984), Trinidadian footballer *

Jan de Wit Johannes Marijnus Antonius Maria "Jan" de Wit (born 10 May 1945) is a former Dutch politician and lawyer. As a member of the Socialist Party (Socialistische Partij) he was an MP from 19 May 1998 to 1 April 2014. He focused on matters of judici ...

(born 1945), Dutch politician and lawyer * Jan Wohlschlag (born 1958), American high jumper *

Jan Wolkers Jan Hendrik Wolkers (26 October 1925 – 19 October 2007) was a Dutch author, sculptor and painter. Wolkers is considered by some to be one of the "Great Four" writers of post-World War II Dutch literature, alongside Willem Frederik Hermans, H ...

(1925–2007), Dutch author and artist *

Jan Zamoyski Jan Sariusz Zamoyski (; 19 March 1542 – 3 June 1605) was a Polish nobleman, magnate, statesman and the 1st '' ordynat'' of Zamość. He served as the Royal Secretary from 1565, Deputy Chancellor from 1576, Grand Chancellor of the Crown f ...

(1542–1605), Polish nobleman and magnate *

Jan Dismas Zelenka Jan Dismas Zelenka (16 October 1679 – 23 December 1745), baptised Jan Lukáš Zelenka was a Bohemian composer and musician of the Baroque period. His music is admired for its harmonic inventiveness and mastery of counterpoint. Zelenka was ...

(1679–1745), Czech baroque composer *

Jan Žižka z Trocnova Jan, JaN or JAN may refer to: Acronyms * Jackson, Mississippi (Amtrak station), US, Amtrak station code JAN * Jackson-Evers International Airport, Mississippi, US, IATA code * Jabhat al-Nusra (JaN), a Syrian militant group * Japanese Article Numb ...

(c.1360–1424), Czech hussite leader * Jan Zoon (1923–2016), Dutch politician *

Jan Zumbach Jan Eugeniusz Ludwik Zumbach (14 April 1915, Ursynów, Congress Poland, Russian Empire – 3 January 1986, France) was a Poland, Polish-Switzerland, Swiss fighter pilot who became an fighter ace, ace and squadron commander during the World War I ...

(1915–1986), Polish fighter pilot and a flying ace during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

Jan Żabiński Jan Żabiński () (8 April 1897 – 26 July 1974) and his wife Antonina Żabińska (née Erdman) (1908–1971) were a Polish couple from Warsaw, recognized by Yad Vashem as Righteous Among the Nations for their heroic rescue of Jews during the H ...

(1897–1974), Polish soldier, educator and scientist *

Jan Zázvorka Jan Zázvorka (2 May 1914 – 14 January 1991) was a Czech architect and art director.Soister, John T. & Nicolella, Henry. ''Down from the Attic: Rare Thrillers of the Silent Era through the 1950''. McFarland, 2016. p. 213 He designed the film se ...

(1914–1991), Czech art director and architect * Jan Żuberek (born 2004), Polish footballer

People (middle name)

Kim Dickens Kim Dickens is an American actress. She is known for starring as Madison Clark in the AMC (TV channel), AMC horror drama series ''Fear the Walking Dead'' (2015–2018; 2022–2023), Joanie Stubbs in HBO's ''Deadwood (TV series), Deadwood'' (2004 ...

(born Kimberly Jan Dickens) (born 1965), American actress

People (last name)

* Dominique Jan, Columbia University surgeon * Georg Jan (1791–1866), Italian taxonomist * Masood Jan, Pakistani blind cricketer

In popular culture

*Jan, in '' Grease'' (1978) *Jan, in '' Bring It On'' (2000) *Jan Arrah,

Element Lad Element Lad (Jan Arrah) is a superhero appearing in media published by DC Comics, primarily as a member of the Legion of Super-Heroes in the 30th and 31st centuries. A native of the planet Trom, he has the power to transmute chemical elements. ...

from the

Legion of Superheroes The Legion of Super-Heroes is a superhero team appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Otto Binder and artist Al Plastino, the Legion is a group of superpowered beings living in the 30th and 31st centuries of t ...

*Jan Brady - née Jan Martin, in ''

The Brady Bunch ''The Brady Bunch'' is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz that aired five seasons from September 26, 1969, to March 8, 1974, on ABC. The series revolves around a large blended family of six children, with three boys and three gir ...

'' (1969–1974) *Jan Levinson, in ''

The Office ''The Office'' is the title of several mockumentary sitcoms based on a British series originally created by Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant as '' The Office'' in 2001. The original series also starred Gervais as manager and primary charac ...

'' (2005–2013) *Jan Solo or Ian Solo, Italian name of Han Solo, ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

'' character *Jan Valek, in ''

Vampires A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...

'' (1998) *Jan, in ''

Wrath of Man Anger, also known as wrath ( ; ) or rage (emotion), rage, is an intense emotional state involving a strong, uncomfortable and non-cooperative response to a perceived provocation, hurt, or threat. A person experiencing anger will often experie ...

'' (2021)

Notes

References