Jordan
[ˈdʒɔːrdən]Meaning
from the Hebrew yarad, "descend, flow down", via the name of the Jordan River
Background Story
Jordan comes from the name of the river that flows between the countries of Jordan and Israel; the river's Hebrew name, Yarḏen, derives from yaraḏ, meaning "descend, flow down". In the New Testament John the Baptist baptizes Jesus Christ in its waters, and the name was adopted in Europe after crusaders brought water back from the river to baptize their children. It may also have been influenced by the Latin name Jordanes, notably borne by a 6th-century Gothic historian. The name died out after the Middle Ages but was revived in the 19th century, and became fairly popular in America and other countries in the second half of the 20th century.
Variations
Jorde, Jordy
Related Names
Jordie
Either a diminutive of Jordan or a variant of Geordie
Corban
No documented meaning in the sources checked
Dasplo
DäNnie
Guster
Recorded as a masculine given name in archaic Romani
Jacoby
A given name and surname; also a glacier, a bridge convention, a typeface
Jascha
Yiddish or German spelling of Yasha, a diminutive of Yakov, or Jacob
Jericho
From the name of a city in Israel mentioned in the Old Testament
Jethro
His name means 'excellence' or 'abundance'.
Jordana
Feminine form of Jordan