The name John is prominent in the New Testament and occurs numerous times. Among Jews of this period, the name was one of the most popular, borne by about five percent of men. Thus, it has long been debated which Johns are to be identified with which.
Ary Scheffer, Christ and St. John, 19th century
The name Mary, appears 54 times in the New Testament, in 49 verses. It was the single most popular female name among Jews of the Roman province of Judaea at the time, borne by about one in four women, and most of the New Testament references to Mary provide only the barest identifying information. Scholars and traditions therefore differ as to how many distinct women these references represent and which of them refer to the same person.
The Madonna in Prayer, by Sassoferrato, 17th century
Magdalena by Gheorghe Tattarescu
Jesus at the home of Martha and Mary by Harold Copping, depicting the scene from Luke 10