Why After a John?

What’s in a name? Anyone who is researching the Hillman family tree will quickly find John’s by the bucketful. I can’t help but wonder why? Many of the reasons probably go back too far for us to really do little but speculate. John originates from the Hebrew apparently meaning “Yahweh is gracious“. Clearly though its popularity as a name is owing to two saints ,John the Baptist and the Apostle John.
John was the most popular name given to male children in the United States up to 1924. Judging by the number of John’s I have to deal with on my family tree it might be safe to say the same holds true for Ontario as well.
Perhaps it has to do with religion. Or maybe over the centuries it becomes viewed as a family name. Certainly I am guilty. My eldest got stuck with it simply because both of his grandfathers were Johns. There was no great philosophical reasoning behind it. Oh well maybe this is one of the great unanswered riddles of history. I just wish some of my ancestors could have considered a second name to make my genealogical research easier.

William James Hillman

George Hillman m. Elizabeth Harman
Westbury, Wiltshire, England
Children: George Hillman, James Hillman b.1800

George Hillman(2) m. Susanna Browne Dec. 24, 1818
Immigrated to Upper Canada about 1829
Children: John (Dec.4, 1819 Westbury: died Oct.3, 1906 Aldborough Tp., Elgin County.)
James(Dec.1, 1821 Westbury: died ?)
William (Nov.3, 1824 Westbury: died Aug.10, 1888 St. Clair County, Michigan)
Elizabeth (Sept.30, 1826 Westbury: died ?)
Reuben( Oct.20, 1828 Westbury: died?)
Nathaniel(Jan.6, 1840 Euphemia Tp, Upper Canada: died 1935)

John Hillman m. Isabella May (May22, 1822-Sept.17, 1906)
Children: Daniel Duncan(1840 Upper Canada: died?)
George( 1842: Died?)
Hugh(Nov.2, 1844: died mar.6, 1894 Aldborough Tp, Elgin County, Ontario)
Mary(1846: died?)
William James(June 20, 1849 Upper Canada: died 12 Jun 1922 Mosa Tp.)
John Davis(June6, 1850 Upper Canada: died 1936 Aldborough Tp., Elgin County, Ontario)
Isabella(1852: died?)
Susana(Dec.5, 1854 Euphemia Tp, Upper Canada: died?)
Margaret(1856: died?)
Christie(1858: died?)
Harriett Hattie(1860: died?)
Angus(1862: died?)
Nathaniel(Dec8, 1865 Aldborough Tp., Ontario: died?)

William James Hillman m. Margaret Patterson(May26, 1850-?)
Children: John Henry(1871 Aldborough Tp., Elgin County: died?)
Duncan(1875 Aldborough Tp., Elgin County: died?)
Daniel(Nov.6, 1877 Aldborough Tp. Elgin County: died 1977)
Nancy(1880: died?)
Mary B.(June15, 1881 Aldborough Tp., Elgin County: died?)
Margaret Maggie(October19, 1885 Aldborough Tp., Elgin County: died?)
William A(Feb.16, 1889 Aldborough Tp., Elgin County: died ?)