A common informal name for a man, often used generically (like 'a regular Johnny') or as a nickname for 'John.'
A diminutive form of 'John,' from Hebrew 'Yohanan' meaning 'God is gracious.' Johnny became popular as an everyday name and later as a generic term for an ordinary male, especially in phrases like 'Johnny on the spot.'
The name Johnny is so common in American culture that it became a generic term for any ordinary person, similar to how 'Jim' or 'Tom' work—but it specifically peaked in popularity when immigration surged around 1900, naming after Irish and Italian immigrants named Giovanni!
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