Jonah
Jonah is a masculine given name derived from the Hebrew: יוֹנָה, Yonā, meaning dove or pigeon. It is the name of the Abrahamic prophet Jonah.
Meaning & Origin of Jonah
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jonah is a masculine given name derived from the Hebrew: יוֹנָה, Yonā, meaning dove or pigeon. It is the name of the Abrahamic prophet Jonah.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Etymology
The Story of Jonah
Jonah first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 8 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2008, when 2,981 Jonahs were born — ranking #136 that year. As of 2026, Jonah ranks #119 for baby boys with 2,896 births, gradually rising (+6%). In total, more than 88K Jonahs have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Jonah
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Jonah of Hankou (1888–1925), bishop of Hankou of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia
- Jonah of Moscow (died 1461), Metropolitan of Kiev and All Rus'
- Jonah Anguka , Kenyan author
- Jonah Ayunga , Kenyan football player
- Jonah Barrington (journalist) , English journalist
- Jonah Barrington (judge) , Irish judge and politician
- Jonah Barrington (squash player) , English squash player
- Jonah Bayliss , American baseball player
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Jonah
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jonah is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jonah
What does the name Jonah mean?
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About the name Jonah
Jonah is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 88K births in the dataset. Jonah's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #119. Use the chart and map above to compare Jonah's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2008 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.