How many "John's?"

[zoar3]

How many BSC John's were there? I realize a few of these are "possible" or in the case of the "pirate" don't necessarily "count" but you know. I realize two other threads could be how many Elizabeths and how many Graces!

1. John (Boy CIT in Summer Vacation)
2. John “Jack” Arnold (Jack is often a nickname for John)
3. John “Jack” Schafer
4. John Brooke (Father in Stacey McGill, Matchmaker)
5. John Kishi
6. John Pike
7. John Ramsey (Jessi’s Dad)
8. John Ramsey (Jessi’s Uncle)
9. John Ramsey, Jr. (Squirt)
10. John the Superbrat aka Derek Masters
11. Johnny Hobart
12. Jonathan (Abby’s relative)
13. Jonathan Spencer (Stacey’s Cousin—I think he was a Spencer and not a McGill)
14. Old Bad John (Pirate from SS#1)

[sparklymouse]

Two questions.

Do we know that the Jacks are really Johns, or is that just an assumption? Jack is also a nickname for Jacob. Jack/Jackson are also really popular baby names now, although I know it was less likely a few decades ago.

Is John Mr. Kishi's real name or an Americanized one that he chose?

[virgoscorpio]

I always thought that Jack and John were two entirely different names...

[zoar3]

I don't think it was ever said that Jack Schafer or Jack Arnold's full name was John, so that was just a possibility. Honestly until reading To Kill a Mockingbird for the first time when I was 14 I never knew Jack was a John nickname either. I never knew about Jack/Jacob.

As for Mr. Kishi, I don't think he ever had a name other than John that we knew of anyway. I would have thought since he, too, immigrated from Japan that he probably did (originally anyway) have a traditional Japanese name.

[sugarfrostedflake]

Jack Shafer's "real" name is John. He goes by Jack (Carol calls him by that in HCtB) but in their IOU for Dawn's Christmas present of a plane ticket to California it said We, John P. Schafer and Carol Olsen, owe the bearer of this to.... I'd post a scan of it but I don't have one (yet, anyway.)

I doubt Jack Arnold's name is John - though it certainly could be. I never thought it was but that doesn't mean AMM/the ghostwriter didn't.

As for John Kishi, we don't know his Japanese name, though I assume he had one as I believe Claudia says at one point in the series that she and Janine are first-generation Japanese Americans.

If we want to lessen the amount of "Johns" in the series, Mr. Pike is also called Daniel (I think it's in the first Super Special). I kind of like that, also I think it goes with Mrs. Pike's name: Dee (Diana).

Zoar3: I haven't read all the books, does Jessi really have an uncle named John RAMSEY? (That would mean he was her father's brother and they don't name two brothers John. Although, as evidenced by your list, it's not outside the realm of possibility and if there were a really clueless ghostwriter, who knows? When I said people don't name two brothers the same, I was talking about real life.)

[scrounge]

John and Jonathan aren't derived from the same origins, if it makes a difference in your list. Jonathan is closely related to Nathan and isn't just a longer form of John.

If you're going to count Jack as always being a John derivative, you could add Jackie Rodowsky.

[greer]

Mr. Pike is sometimes John and sometimes Jonathan.

[lilafowler]

12. Jonathan (Abby’s relative)

Do you mean her dad or did they name two people in her family Jonathan?

[zoar3]

Thanks, Sugarfrostedflake. I'll have to go find my copy of Dawn and the We Love Kids Club to see that. Lol, I was about to ask what HcTB stood for when it hit me: Here Comes the Bridesmaids. And yes, it was said somewhere that Jessi's Uncle (not quite sure it said it was her Uncle just that the wording made it evident that was what's meant. We've talked about this on here before. Unfortunately I don't remember which book said this. Anyone)?

Scrounge, I didn't know that about Nathan. It's a name I sometimes like. Jonathan has always been a favorite "J" name of mine for a boy. But I would never name multiple sons Jonathan! As for Jack or (Jackie) always being a form of John, I don't think that's the case. As others have said the name Jackson has become more popular and I learned yesterday on here that sometimes Jack=Jacob. Given Ann's "John" obsession I wouldn't put it past her to have meant that in the BSC verse.

Greer, when did someone call Mr. Pike Johnathan? I can almost picture his name being written out in European Vacation on the Family tree but otherwise don't recall anyone calling him by his full name.

Finally, Lila, in Abby's Lucky Thirteen, one of the guests was a kid named Jonathan. I think he was the son of a great Aunt or something like that.

When I made this list I forgot the most important John of all: John Perkins! I have always thought the "real" Mr. Perkins was probably the reason why so many characters were named John's and lawyers. I think it's safer to say his wife, Elizabeth, was a good basis if not the basis for all the Elizabeths! I asked Ann that in my letter but alas like my other questions she did not answer that one.

Lila, in Abby's Lucky Thirteen, one of the young guests is the son of Abby's great Aunt or something like that and his name is Jonathan.

[anzuhana]

In Karen's Cowboy, the owner of the ranch is Jonathan Wayne and he goes by Jon.