How many johns are in the bible: essential guide with 5 key facts
how many johns are in the bible
If you have ever wondered how many johns are in the bible, you are not alone. The name “John” appears prominently in the New Testament and its Hebrew equivalent, “Johanan” or “Jehohanan,” occurs through the Old Testament. Because different translations, traditions, and scholarly views overlap or separate certain figures, a careful answer needs a bit of context. This guide explains the major people called John in Scripture, how scholars count them, and why the total can vary depending on what you include.
At a glance, Christians commonly think of John the Baptist and John the Apostle. Yet there are additional references: “John, whose other name was Mark”, a John from the high-priestly family, and names connected to the authorship of New Testament books. When people ask how many johns are in the bible, they might mean only the New Testament, or the entire Bible including the many Old Testament “Johanan/Jehohanan” entries. We will cover both and show you how to count responsibly.
Beyond simply “how many”, understanding who these Johns were helps you read the Gospels and letters more clearly. You will also see why some church traditions identify one John behind several texts, while many modern scholars distinguish between more than one—especially when considering the Gospel according to John, the three letters of John, and the Revelation to John.
A quick answer to how many johns are in the bible
The succinct answer is this: in the New Testament alone, there are at least four clearly distinct “Johns”, and potentially as many as six or seven if you treat the authors referred to as “the elder” and “John of Patmos” as different individuals from the apostle. In the Old Testament, you will find more than a dozen people called Johanan or Jehohanan. So, when readers ask how many johns are in the bible, a fair response is “at least four to seven in the New Testament, and well over a dozen across the Old Testament.”
If you are focusing strictly on named individuals in the New Testament narratives, the minimum set is John the Baptist, John the son of Zebedee (the apostle), John Mark, and John of the high-priestly family in Acts 4:6. Some counts add the father of Simon Peter (depending on your translation), and distinguish the John of Patmos and the “elder” from the apostle. As you can see, the number behind how many johns are in the bible depends on how you draw those lines.
Understanding the name “John”: origins and variants
To read the Bible well, it helps to know that “John” (Greek: Iōannēs; Latin: Iohannes) comes from the Hebrew name Yôḥānān or Yehoḥānān, meaning “Yahweh has been gracious.” In English Old Testaments, the name usually appears as “Johanan” or “Jehohanan”, while in the New Testament it appears as “John”. This is crucial when deciding how many johns are in the bible overall, because the Old Testament rarely uses the English form “John”, even though the underlying name is the same.
Spelling differences also arise from translation traditions. Some English versions render Simon Peter’s father as “John” in John’s Gospel, while others prefer “Jonah” or “Jona” following different manuscript readings. Such details influence whether a reader includes that person when tallying “Johns”.
Who are the key Johns in the New Testament?
Before deciding how many johns are in the bible, it helps to meet the major New Testament figures who bear the name. Two are the most famous: John the Baptist and John the Apostle (son of Zebedee). Authorial attributions in later tradition also matter—especially when considering the Gospel according to John and Revelation—and this is where debates arise.
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was a prophetic preacher and the forerunner of Jesus, calling people to repentance and baptising in the Jordan (e.g., Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3, John 1). For a concise overview of his life and role, see this balanced reference: historical and biblical profile of John the Baptist. He is unquestionably a distinct “John”, so every count will include him.
