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John [John 词源字典]: masc. proper name, mid-12c., from Medieval Latin Johannes, from Late Latin Joannes, from Greek Ioannes, from Hebrew Yohanan (longer form y'hohanan) literally "Jehovah has favored," from hanan "he was gracious."

As the name of John the Baptist and John the Evangelist, it was one of the most common Christian given names, and in England by early 14c. it rivaled William in popularity. The Old French form was Jean, but in England its variants Johan, Jehan yielded Jan, Jen (also compare surname Jensen). Welsh form was Ieuan (see Evan), but Ioan was adopted for the Welsh Authorized Version of the Bible, hence frequency of Jones as a Welsh surname.[John etymology, John origin, 英语词源]
john (n.): "toilet," 1932, probably from jakes, used for "toilet" since 15c. Meaning "prostitute's customer" is from 1911, probably from the common, and thus anonymous, name by which they identified themselves. Meaning "policeman" is 1858, from shortening of johndarm, jocular anglicization of gendarme.
John Bull: "Englishman who exemplifies the national character," 1772, from name of a character representing the English nation in Arbuthnot's satire "History of John Bull" (1712).
John Doe (n.): fictitious plaintiff in a legal action, attested from 1768 (in Blackstone). The fictitious defendant was Richard Roe. If female, Jane Doe, Jane Roe. Replaced earlier John-a-nokes (1530s) or Jack Nokes, who usually was paired with John-a-stiles or Tom Stiles. Also used of plaintiffs or defendants who have reason to be anonymous. By 1852, John Doe was being used in North America for "any man whose name is not known," but Britain tended to preserve it in the narrower legal sense "name of the fictitious plaintiff in actions of ejectment." John Doe warrant attested from 1935.
John Hancock: colloquial for "signature," 1903 (sometimes, through some unexplainable error, John Henry), from the Boston merchant and rebel (1736-1793), signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The extended sense is from his signing that dangerous document first or most flamboyantly.
John Hancock, president of Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence, writing his name in large, plain letters, and saying: "There; John Bull can read my name without spectacles. Now let him double the price on my head, for this is my defiance." [Hélène Adeline Guerber, "The Story of the Thirteen Colonies," New York, 1898]
The family name is attested from 1276 in Yorkshire, a diminutive (see cock) of Hann, a very common given name in 13c. Yorkshire as a pet form of Henry or John.
John Q. Public (n.): "average American citizen," attested from 1934.
Johnny: pet form of masc. proper name John (see -y (3)). Used as a contemptuous or humorous designation for some class or group of men from 1670s (it was the typical name in the North and the Northern armies for a Confederate soldier during the American Civil War). In the Mediterranean, it was a typical name for an Englishman by c. 1800; in the Crimean War, it became the typical name among the English for "a Turk," later extended to "an Arab" (who by World War II were using it in turn as the typical name for "a British man"). Johnny-come-lately first attested 1839.
johnny-cake (n.): 1739, American English, of unknown origin, perhaps from Shawnee cake, from the Indian tribe. Folk etymology since 1775, however, connects it to journey cake.
johnson (n.): "penis," 1863, perhaps related to British slang John Thomas, which has the same meaning (1887).
joie de vivre (n.): 1889, French, literally "joy of living."
join (v.): c. 1300, from stem of Old French joindre "join, connect, unite; have sexual intercourse with" (12c.), from Latin iungere "to join together, unite, yoke," from PIE *yeug- "to join, unite" (see jugular). Related: Joined; joining. In Middle English, join sometimes is short for enjoin. Join up "enlist in the army" is from 1916. Phrase if you can't beat them, join them is from 1953. To be joined at the hip figuratively ("always in close connection") is by 1986, from the literal sense in reference to "Siamese twins."
joinder (n.): "act of joining together" (usually in specific legal senses), c. 1600, from French joindre "to join," taken as a noun (see join).
joiner (n.): early 14c. (late 12c. as a surname), joynour "maker of furniture, small boxes, etc.," from Old French joigneor "joiner, carpenter," agent noun from joindre "to join" (see join). A craftsman who did lighter and more ornamental work than a carpenter. Meaning "one who makes a habit of joining" (societies, clubs, etc.) is from 1890. Related: Joinery.
joint (n.): late 13c., "a part of a body where two bones meet and move in contact with one another," from Old French joint "joint of the body" (12c.), from Latin iunctus "united, connected, associated," past participle of iungere "join" (see jugular). Related: Joints. Slang meaning of "place, building, establishment" (especially one where persons meet for shady activities) first recorded 1877, American English, from an earlier Anglo-Irish sense (1821), perhaps on the notion of a side-room, one "joined" to a main room. The original U.S. sense was especially of "an opium-smoking den."

Meaning "marijuana cigarette" (1938) is perhaps from notion of something often smoked in common, but there are other possibilities; earlier joint in drug slang meant "hypodermic outfit" (1935). Meaning "prison" is attested from 1953 but probably is older. Out of joint in the figurative sense is from early 15c. (literally, of bone displacement, late 14c.).
joint (adj.): early 15c., "united," from Old French jointiz (adj.) and joint, literally "joined," past participle of joindre (see join (v.)).
jointed (adj.): early 15c., from joint (n.).
jointly (adv.): c. 1300, from joint (adj.) + -ly (2). It seems to have chased out joinly (early 15c.).
jointure (n.): late 14c., "act or fact of being joined," from Old French jointure "a putting together," from Latin iunctura "a joining, juncture" (see juncture). Specific legal sense from mid-15c.
joist (n.): early 14c. (late 13c. in Anglo-Latin), from Old French giste "beam supporting a bridge" (Modern French gîte), noun use of fem. past participle of gesir "to lie," from Latin iacere "to lie, rest," related to iacere "to throw" (see jet (v.)). Notion is of wooden beam on which boards "lie down."
joke (n.): 1660s, joque, "a jest, something done to excite laughter," from Latin iocus "joke, sport, pastime," from PIE root *yek- (1) "to speak" (cognates: Breton iez "language," Old High German jehan "to say," German Beichte "confession").

Originally a colloquial or slang word. Meaning "something or someone not to be taken seriously" is from 1791. Practical joke "trick played on someone for the sake of a laugh at his expense" is from 1804 (earlier handicraft joke, 1741). Black joke is old slang for "smutty song" (1730s), from use of that phrase in the refrain of a then-popular song as a euphemism for "the monosyllable."