Juan is a given name, the Spanish and Manx versions of John. The name is of Hebrew origin, derived from the Hebrew name Yochanan, meaning "Yahweh has been gracious" or "God has been gracious." It is very common in Spain, other Spanish-speaking countries around the world, the Philippines, and also in the Isle of Man (where it is pronounced differently).
In Spanish, the diminutive form (equivalent to Johnny) is Juanito, with the feminine form Juana (comparable to Jane, Joan, or Joanna), and the feminine diminutive Juanita (equivalent to Janet, Janey, or Joanie).
Pronunciation:
- Spanish: [xwan]
- Manx: [ˈdʒuːʌn]
- Portuguese: [ʁuˈɐ̃]
Related names include John, Evan, Giovanni, Hans, Ian, Ivan, Jean, João, Johan, Johannes, Jon, Seán, Shane, and many others across various languages.
Notable people named Juan include:
- Juan Carlos I, King of Spain (1975–2014)
- Juan Domingo Perón, President of Argentina
- Juan Manuel Santos, former President of Colombia and Nobel Peace Prize laureate
- Juan Ramón Jiménez, Spanish poet, Nobel Prize in Literature (1956)
- Juan Gris, Spanish painter
- Juan Sebastián Elcano, Spanish explorer who completed the first circumnavigation of the Earth
- Juan Ponce de León, Spanish explorer
- Juan Martín del Potro, Argentine tennis player
- Juan Mata, Spanish footballer
In Chinese, Juan (Mandarin pronunciation: [tɕɥɛ̂n] or [tɕɥɛ́n], characters: 娟, 隽) means "beautiful, graceful" and is a common given name for Chinese women.
Juan Prim (full name: Juan Prim y Prats, 1st Count of Reus, 1st Marquis of los Castillejos, 1st Viscount of Bruch; 6 December 1814 – 30 December 1870) was a Spanish general and statesman who served briefly as Prime Minister of Spain until his assassination.
Born in Reus, Catalonia, Prim was the son of a lieutenant colonel. He entered military service and saw his first combat in 1834 during the First Carlist War, rising to the rank of lieutenant-colonel. As a progressive opposed to the dictatorship of General Espartero, he was exiled but returned in 1843, was elected deputy for Tarragona, and after defeating Espartero at Bruch, entered Madrid in triumph. He was promoted to major-general and granted the titles Count of Reus and Viscount of Bruch.
Prim served as Governor of Puerto Rico (1847–1848) and later as a military representative during the Crimean War. In the Hispano-Moroccan War (1859–1860), he distinguished himself at the battles of Castillejos, Cabo Negro, and Guad al Gelu, earning the title Marquess of los Castillejos and Grandee of Spain.
In 1862, Prim commanded the Spanish expeditionary force in Mexico alongside British and French forces seeking repayment of loans. Sympathizing with the Mexican liberal cause under Benito Juárez, he refused to support Napoleon III's ambitions and withdrew Spanish forces.
Prim was a key architect of the Glorious Revolution of 1868, which overthrew Queen Isabella II. In 1869, he became Prime Minister of Spain and president of the council. He played a central role in searching for a new monarch for Spain, eventually securing the election of Amadeo I, Duke of Aosta, as king.
On 28 December 1870, as Prim left the chamber of the Cortes in Madrid, he was shot by unknown assassins and died two days later on 30 December 1870, at age 56. His assassination remains an unsolved murder. Three days after his death, King Amadeo I swore to observe the new Spanish constitution in the presence of Prim's corpse.
