Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “Johannesburg” come from?

Johannesburg is the English name for the South African city, derived from Dutch Johannes, from Latin Iohannes, from Ancient Greek Ἰωάννης, ultimately from Hebrew יהוה meaning "God."

Ancestry of “Johannesburg”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1DutchJohannesburg—
2DutchJohannes—
3LatinIōhannēs—
4LatinIōannēs—
5Ancient GreekἸωάννης—
6HebrewיוחנןYahweh is gracious
7Hebrewחנוןgracious, merciful, compassionate; passive...
8Moroccan Arabicخنونة—
9Arabicخُنَّة—
Every word from Arabic خُنَّة →