Boy Old & New Testament Known
Javan
deceiver; one who makes sad
יָוָן Ἕλλην=Ἕλλην ya.van
Javan (Hebrew: יָוָן, ya.van) means “deceiver; one who makes sad”, by traditional interpretation. It appears in 32 verses across 11 books of the Bible. In 2025 it was given to 27 children in the United States. Use is falling away. Around 3,636 Americans have been given it since 1880. Appears with Dodanim in Genesis 10.
The bearer in scripture
One person in scripture bears this name.
-
Javan
son of Japheth; father of Elishah; father of Tarshish
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 32 across 11 books
- Bearers
- 1 one person only
- Testament
- Both
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 27 | Falling |
| All-time total | 3,636 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 142 in 2004 | Its highest year on record |
| Strongest state | CA | Highest share relative to births |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 10:2 |
| Last appears | Colossians 3:11 |
| Cross-references | 1,286 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Tiras attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Japheth.
- Tubal attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Japheth.
- Madai attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Japheth.
- Magog attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Japheth.
- Dodanim attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Japheth.
- Meshech attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Japheth.
- Gomer attested sibling Attested sibling — both named as children of Japheth.
- Tubal co-occurrence Appears with Tubal in Genesis 10.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of the Patriarchs, first mentioned at Gen.10.2;
son of: Japheth (H3315);
brother of: Gomer (H1586), Magog (H4031), Madai (H4074), Tubal (H8422), Meshech (H4902) and Tiras (H8494);
father of: Elishah (H0473), Tarshish (H8659), Kittim (H3794) and Dodanim (H1721); also called Greek at Jol.3.6 + NT.
§ Javan = "Ionia" or "Greece"
1) a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah
2) Greece, Ionia, Ionians
2a) location of descendants of Javan
Javan, the ancestor of the Greek people, was a son of Japheth and grandson of Noah.
The biblical story
Javan is mentioned in the Table of Nations (Gen.10.2,4; 1Ch.1.5,7) as one of the sons of Japheth and grandsons of Noah. He is considered the ancestor of the Greek people, and his name is often used in the Bible as a reference to Greece or the Greek people. In the Old Testament, Javan is associated with the trading of slaves (Jol.3.6), suggesting that the Greeks were involved in the slave trade. In the New Testament, the term "Greeks" (Hellenes) is used to refer to non-Jewish people, particularly those influenced by Greek culture. The Greeks are mentioned in various contexts, such as seeking Jesus (Jhn.12.20), attending synagogues (Act.14.1; 17.4; 18.4), and being among the first Gentile converts to Christianity (Act.16.1,3). The inclusion of Greeks in the early church underscores the universal nature of the gospel message (Rom.1.16; 10.12; Gal.3.28). The Greeks are also depicted as seekers of wisdom (1Co.1.22) and are contrasted with the Jews in terms of their religious and cultural background (Rom.1.14; 2.9-10; 1Co.10.32; 12.13). In Mrk.7.26, a Syrophoenician woman is described as a Greek, highlighting the widespread influence of Greek culture in the region.
Key verses
Javan appears in 31 verses. Here are some of the most notable:
-
The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
Genesis 10:2 -
And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
Genesis 10:4 -
The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.
1 Chronicles 1:5 -
And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
1 Chronicles 1:7 -
The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.
Joel 3:6
Show all 31 references
Genesis (2)
- Genesis 10:2
- Genesis 10:4
1 Chronicles (2)
- 1 Chronicles 1:5
- 1 Chronicles 1:7
Joel (1)
- Joel 3:6
Mark (1)
- Mark 7:26
John (2)
- John 7:35
- John 12:20
Acts (10)
- Acts 14:1
- Acts 16:1
- Acts 16:3
- Acts 17:4
- Acts 17:12
- Acts 18:4
- Acts 19:10
- Acts 19:17
- Acts 20:21
- Acts 21:28
Romans (6)
- Romans 1:14
- Romans 1:16
- Romans 2:9
- Romans 2:10
- Romans 3:9
- Romans 10:12
1 Corinthians (4)
- 1 Corinthians 1:22
- 1 Corinthians 1:24
- 1 Corinthians 10:32
- 1 Corinthians 12:13
Galatians (2)
- Galatians 2:3
- Galatians 3:28
Colossians (1)
- Colossians 3:11