Jordan (English)
Where does "Jordan" come from?
The English word and name 'Jordan' originates from the Biblical Hebrew 'yardén', meaning 'Jordan (river)'[1]. This term passed into Ancient Greek as 'Ἰορδάνης'[1], which was subsequently borrowed into Latin as 'Iordanēs'[3]. Beyond its geographical use for the river and country, the personal name gained popularity in the Middle Ages when children were baptized with water from the Jordan River brought back by crusaders. Additionally, some modern locations such as the area in Hong Kong trace their names to Sir John Jordan[1].
Full etymology tree
- Jordan (English), 'A placename:'
- inherited Iordanes (Latin), 'the river Jordan'
- borrowed Ἰορδάνης (Iordánēs) (Ancient Greek), 'Jordan (a river in West Asia in the Middle East, that empties into the Dead Sea, flowing through Israel, the Golan Heights, the West Bank and Jordan)'
- derived יַרְדֵּן (yardén) (Biblical Hebrew)
- borrowed Ἰορδάνης (Iordánēs) (Ancient Greek), 'Jordan (a river in West Asia in the Middle East, that empties into the Dead Sea, flowing through Israel, the Golan Heights, the West Bank and Jordan)'
- inherited Iordanes (Latin), 'the river Jordan'
Ancestors
- Iordanes (Latin)
- Ἰορδάνης (Ancient Greek)
Cognates and doublets
- Yarden (English)
Descendants and derived words
- Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan (English)
- Jordan almond (English)
- Jordan block (English)
- Jordan curve (English)
- Jordanesque (English)
- Jordanian (English)
- Jordanian (English)
- Jordanianism (English)
- Jordanianness (English)
- Jordan matrix (English)
- Jordan network (English)
- Jordan rule (English)
Sources
- Jordan (English) - Wiktionary
- Ἰορδάνης (Iordánēs) (Ancient Greek) - Wiktionary
- Iordanes (Latin) - Wiktionary
Updated August 2026
Etymology data from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · About Miraris