Holding steady, #12,008 for boys today.
Popularity of Johnell since 1925
Babies named Johnell per year in U.S. Social Security records. Raw births topped out in 1990, but relative to how few babies were recorded back then, Johnell's real moment was 1978.
Data table (by decade)
| Decade | Girls | Boys |
|---|---|---|
| 1920s | 10 | 0 |
| 1930s | 14 | 36 |
| 1940s | 53 | 108 |
| 1950s | 43 | 158 |
| 1960s | 51 | 139 |
| 1970s | 85 | 185 |
| 1980s | 71 | 178 |
| 1990s | 22 | 194 |
| 2000s | 6 | 142 |
| 2010s | 0 | 86 |
| 2020s | 0 | 13 |
Meaning & origin
Johnell is a modern elaboration of John, first recorded in 1934. It reached its peak popularity in 1978. As of 2025, the name ranks 12,008th, with an incidence of roughly 1 in every 341,615 boys. Its trajectory has been stable in recent years, with most usage occurring in the 1970s. While not associated with any particular state or region, Johnell reflects a mid-20th-century trend of creating distinctive forms of traditional names through the addition of fashionable suffixes like -ell.
Johnell is a modern diminutive or elaborated form of John, derived from the Hebrew Yochanan, meaning 'God is gracious.' The suffix -ell is a fashionable addition that gained popularity in the 20th century, particularly in the United States. The name follows a pattern of creating distinctive forms of classic names, similar to Jo Nell or Johnella.
Nicknames & variants
Nicknames: Johnny, John, Jo
Sibling names for Johnell
Names that share Johnell's style, for a brother or sister.
