Old Norse
Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and their overseas settlement ...
common name still widely used in
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its ...
and the
Faroes
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway betw ...
.
According to Icelandic custom, people named Jón are generally referred to by first and middle names and those without a middle name are referred to with both first name and patronym disambiguation is required.
''Jón'' is derived from the name
Johannes
Johannes is a Medieval Latin form of the personal name that usually appears as " John" in English language contexts. It is a variant of the Greek and Classical Latin variants (Ιωάννης, '' Ioannes''), itself derived from the Hebrew name '' ...
(English
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
* Secon ...
) with the original meaning being ''God (
Yahweh
Yahweh *''Yahwe'', was the national god of ancient Israel and Judah. The origins of his worship reach at least to the early Iron Age, and likely to the Late Bronze Age if not somewhat earlier, and in the oldest biblical literature he po ...
) is gracious''. The name is one of the most frequently given names in Iceland. In 2002, it was ranked first before Sigurður and Guðmundur.Statistics Iceland /ref>
People with the name ''Jón''
Kings
*
Jón I of Sweden
John I ( sv, Johan Sverkersson; c. 1201 – 10 March 1222) was the king of Sweden from 1216 until his death.
Background
John was the son of King Sverker II of Sweden of the House of Sverker and Queen Ingegerd of the Bjälbo dynasty. When he was o ...
Others
*
Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson
Jón Hnefill Aðalsteinsson (29 March 1927 – 2 March 2010) was an Icelandic folklorist, philologist, and theologian. He was the first professor of folklore at the University of Iceland and published extensively, particularly on Old Norse religi ...
, Icelandic scholar and folklorist
*
Jón Arason
Jón Arason (1484 – November 7, 1550) was an Icelandic Roman Catholic bishop and poet, who was executed in his struggle against the imposition of the Protestant Reformation in Iceland.
Background
Jón Arason was born in Gryta, educated at Mu ...
, Icelandic bishop
*
Jón Árnason (author)
Jón Árnason (17 August 1819 — 4 September 1888)''Mannslát'' (Obituary) in ''Ísafold''5 September 1888 was an Icelandic author, librarian, and museum director who made the first collection of Icelandic folktales.
Career
Jón Árnason w ...
, Icelandic author
*
Jón Loftur Árnason
Jón Loftur Árnason (born 13 November 1960) is an Icelandic chess grandmaster. He is a three-time Icelandic Chess Champion and was World U17 Chess Champion in 1977.
Chess career
Like fellow Scandinavians Simen Agdestein and Magnus Carlsen, ...
, Icelandic chess player
*
Jón Þór Birgisson
Jón is an Old Norse common name still widely used in Iceland and the Faroes.
According to Icelandic custom, people named Jón are generally referred to by first and middle names and those without a middle name are referred to with both first na ...
, Icelandic musician (
Sigur Rós
Sigur Rós () is an Icelandic post-rock band from Reykjavík, active since 1994. The band comprises singer and guitarist Jón Þór "Jónsi" Birgisson, bassist Georg Hólm, and keyboardist Kjartan Sveinsson. Known for their ethereal sound, fr ...
)
*
Jón Gerreksson
Jón is an Old Norse common name still widely used in Iceland and the Faroes.
According to Icelandic custom, people named Jón are generally referred to by first and middle names and those without a middle name are referred to with both first nam ...
, Danish-Icelandic bishop
*
Jón Gnarr
Jón Gnarr (; born 2 January 1967)This is an Icelandic name. ''Kristinsson'' is the patronymic, but he is properly referred to as ''Jón Gnarr'' as he had it legally removed. is an Icelandic actor, comedian, and politician who served as the Ma ...
, Icelandic comedian
*
Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson
Jón Baldvin Hannibalsson (born 21 February 1939) is an Icelandic politician and diplomat.
He was Minister of Finance from 1987 to 1988 and Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1988 to 1995.
He is known in the Baltics as, at his initiative, Icela ...
, Icelandic politician
*
Jón Helgason (poet)
Jón Helgason (June 30, 1899 - January 19, 1986) was an Icelandic philologist and poet. He was head of the Danish Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies from 1927 to 1972 and professor of Icelandic studies at the University of Copenhage ...
, Icelandic philologist and poet
*
Jón Helgason (minister)
Jón Helgason (4 October 1931 – 2 April 2019) was an Icelandic politician and former government minister. He was a member of Alþingi from 1974 to 1995, and the speaker from 1979 to 1983. Jón served as the Minister of Justice and Ecclesiasti ...
, Icelandic politician and former minister
*
Jón korpur Hrafnsson
Jón korpur Hrafnsson (born 1255) (Anglicized John "the raven" son of Raven) son of Þuríður Sturludóttir (born 1228) and Hrafn Oddsson (born 1225). His mother, Þuríður, was a direct descendant of Þóra Magnúsdóttir daughter of Magn ...
, son of Þuríður Sturludóttir
*
Jón Hreggviðsson
''Iceland's Bell'' () is a historical novel by Nobel prize-winning Icelandic author Halldór Kiljan Laxness. It was published in three parts: ''Iceland's Bell'' (1943), ''The Bright Jewel'' or ''The Fair Maiden'' (1944) and ''Fire in Copenhagen ...
, character in ''Iceland's Bell'' by Halldór Laxness
*
Jón Kristjánsson
Jón Kristjánsson (17 May 1920 – 16 February 1996) was an Icelandic cross-country skier who competed in the 1950s. At the 1952 Winter Olympics in Oslo, he finished 45th in the 18 km event and 30th in the 50 km event. He also competed a ...
, Icelandic cross country skier
*
Jón Rói Jacobsen
Jón Rói Jacobsen (born 7 April 1983) is a former Faroese football defender.
Club career
Once hailed as Faroese most promising football talent, Jacobsen started his career as a striker for HB Torshavn, scoring 12 goals in the 2002 league se ...
, Faroese football defender
*
Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson
Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson (born 27 January 1968, in Reykjavík) is an Icelandic convicted criminal and former CEO of Baugur Group.
Early career
Jón Ásgeir's parents were Jóhannes Jónsson (1940-2013) and Ása Karen Ásgeirsdóttir (1942-), ...
, CEO of Baugur Group
*
Jón Leifs
Jón Leifs (born Jón Þorleifsson on 1 May 1899 – 30 July 1968) was an Icelandic composer, pianist, and conductor.
Life
Jón Leifs was born ''Jón Þorleifsson,'' at the farm Sólheimar, then in the Húnavatnssýsla, northwestern Iceland. H ...
, Icelandic composer
*
Jón Loftsson
Jón Loftsson (1124–1197; Modern Icelandic: ; Old Norse: ) was chieftain of Oddi at Rangárvellir in the south part of Iceland.
Jón Loftsson was a member of the Oddaverjar family clan. His parents were Loftur Sæmundsson and Þóra M ...
, Icelandic chieftain at Oddi
*
Jón Magnússon (politician)
Jón Magnússon (16 January 1859 – 23 June 1926) was an Icelandic politician, and was prime minister of Iceland on two occasions. He served his first term, as a member of the Home Rule Party ('' Heimastjórnarflokkurinn''), from 4 January 1 ...
, Icelandic politician
*
Jón Arnar Magnússon
Jón Arnar Magnússon (born 28 July 1969 in Selfoss) is a former decathlete from Iceland. He has won silver and bronze medals at world indoor championships, all in heptathlon, as decathlon is unsuitable for indoor contests. Jón is the Icelandic ...
, Icelandic decathlete
* Jón Ólafsson, Icelandic editor, journalist, and poet
*
Jón Ögmundsson
Jón Ögmundsson or Ogmundarson ( la, Ioannes Ögmundi filius; 1052–23 April 1121), also known as John of Holar and Jon Helgi Ogmundarson, was an Icelandic bishop and local Icelandic saint. In 1106, the second Icelandic diocese, Hólar, was cre ...
Jón Kalman Stefánsson
Jón Kalman Stefánsson (born 17 December 1963) is an Icelandic author.
Biography
Jón Kalman was born in Reykjavík. He grew up there and in Keflavík. From 1975 to 1982, he lived in western Iceland, where he worked in different jobs afte ...
, Icelandic author
* Jón Páll Sigmarsson, Icelandic weightlifter and powerlifter
*
Jón Sigurðsson
Jón Sigurðsson (17 June 1811 – 7 December 1879) was the leader of the 19th century Icelandic independence movement.
Biography
Born at Hrafnseyri, in Arnarfjörður in the Westfjords area of Iceland, he was the son of Þórdís Jónsdótti ...
, Icelandic politician
*
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson
Jón Trausti Sigurðarson (born 4 January 1982Laugarvatn, page 8 (unknown date), http://www.khi.is/files/laugarvatn2.pdf ) is an Icelandic marketing director and lawyer, best known for founding the Reykjavík
Reykjavík ( ; ) is the Capital c ...
Jón Arnór Stefánsson
Jón Arnór Stefánsson (born 21 September 1982) is an Icelandic basketball player and a former member of the Icelandic national team. One of Iceland's most successful athletes of the early 21st century, he was the Icelandic Sportsperson of the ...
, Icelandic basketball player
*
Jón Sveinsson
Jón Stefán Sveinsson, better known as "Nonni" (16 November 1857 in Möðruvellir in Hörgárdalur – 16 October 1944 in Cologne) was an Icelandic children's writer and member of the Society of Jesus.
He left Iceland in 1870 for France, w ...
Jón Thoroddsen elder
Jón Thoroddsen elder (October 5, 1818 – March 8, 1868) was an Icelandic poet and novelist.
Biography
He was born at Reykhólar in western Iceland. He studied law at the University of Copenhagen, entered the Danish army as volunteer in 18 ...
, Icelandic author
*
Jón Þorláksson
Jón Þorláksson (3 March 1877 – 20 March 1935) was prime minister of Iceland from 8 July 1926 to 28 August 1927. He was the only leader of the Conservative Party (''Íhaldsflokkurinn'') which merged with the Liberal Party to form the Indep ...