Boy · #569 in 2026

Jonas

Jonas is a common male name in many Western world countries and Northeast Africa. It is primarily used as a first name, but also occurs as a surname. It is particularly frequent in Germany, Israel, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Flanders and Scandinavia. It is also the most common name in Lithuania; however, in Lithuania, the name Jonas is derived from the Hebrew Yohanan as opposed to Jonah.

  • Lithuanian
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
Current Rank
#569
Peak Rank
#273 (2008)
Total Babies
29K
5-Yr Trend
-18%
1976
First Year
2004
Last Year
1981
Peak Year
#7409
Peak Rank
28
Total Count
4
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Jonas

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Jonas is a common male name in many Western world countries and Northeast Africa. It is primarily used as a first name, but also occurs as a surname. It is particularly frequent in Germany, Israel, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Flanders and Scandinavia. It is also the most common name in Lithuania; however, in Lithuania, the name Jonas is derived from the Hebrew Yohanan as opposed to Jonah.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • Lithuanian
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • German
  • Dutch
  • French
  • Biblical
  • Hungarian
  • Icelandic
  • Faroese
  • Spanish
  • Czech
  • Slovak
Etymology
Jonas most often represents Hebrew יוֹנָה (Yōnā) meaning 'dove', the name of multiple Biblical figures. The form Jonah is taken directly from Hebrew, while the form with s is adapted through Greek . Greek Ίωνας (Ionas) may also mean " Ionian ", a member of the Greek tribe Ιωνες Iones who colonized western Asia. [ citation needed ]

The Story of Jonas

The earliest SSA record of Jonas as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 28 babies received it. 2008 was its biggest year on record, with 1,256 newborns named Jonas — #273 in the national rankings. About 25% of every Jonas on record arrived during the 2000s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Jonas ranks #569 for baby boys with 515 births, falling sharply (-18%). All told, over 29K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Jonas

Phonetically similar names — useful when Jonas 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 Jonas

What does the name Jonas mean?
Jonas is a common male name in many Western world countries and Northeast Africa. It is primarily used as a first name, but also occurs as a surname. It is particularly frequent in Germany, Israel, Ethiopia, the Netherlands, Flanders and Scandinavia. It is also the most common name in Lithuania; however, in Lithuania, the name Jonas is derived from the Hebrew Yohanan as opposed to Jonah.
What is the origin of the name Jonas?
Jonas has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: Lithuanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, German, Dutch, French, Biblical, Hungarian, Icelandic, Faroese, Spanish, Czech, Slovak.
How popular is Jonas in 2026?
In 2026, Jonas ranks #569 among boys' names in the U.S., with 515 babies given the name that year.
When was Jonas most popular?
Jonas reached its peak popularity in 2008, ranking #273 that year with 1,256 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Jonas most popular?
Jonas has historically been most popular in Vermont, Alaska, New Hampshire. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Jonas.
Is Jonas a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Jonas is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with Jonas?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Jonas include Porter, Isadore, Quincy. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

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About the name Jonas

Jonas is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 29K births in the dataset. Jonas's peak popularity came in 2008 when it ranked #273. Use the chart and map above to compare Jonas's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.