Jonathan
Jonathan is a common name given to males which means "YHWH has given" in Hebrew. The earliest known use of the name was in the Bible; one Jonathan was the son of King Saul, a close friend of David.
- English
- French
- German
- Swedish
Meaning & Origin of Jonathan
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jonathan is a common name given to males which means "YHWH has given" in Hebrew. The earliest known use of the name was in the Bible; one Jonathan was the son of King Saul, a close friend of David.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- French
- German
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Dutch
- Biblical
The Story of Jonathan
The earliest SSA record of Jonathan as a baby boy name dates back to 1880, when 18 babies received it. 1988 was its biggest year on record, with 24,348 newborns named Jonathan — #15 in the national rankings. About 26% of every Jonathan on record arrived during the 1980s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Jonathan ranks #89 for baby boys with 3,811 births, falling sharply (-26%). All told, over 875K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jonathan
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jonathan. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Notable people named Jonathan
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Jonathan Amaral, known as Jonathan Gaming (born 2002), Indian professional esports player
- Jonathan Antoine (born 1995), English classically trained tenor
- Jonathan Aspropotamitis (born 1996), Australian professional footballer
- Jonathan Asselin (born 1958), Canadian equestrian
- Jonathan Augustinsson (born 1996), Swedish footballer
- Jonathan Bailey (born 1988), English actor
- Jonny Bairstow (born 1989), English cricketer
- Jonathan Banks (born 1947), American actor
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Jonathan
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jonathan 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 Jonathan
What does the name Jonathan mean?
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How popular is Jonathan in 2026?
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In which U.S. states is Jonathan most popular?
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About the name Jonathan
Jonathan is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 875K births in the dataset. Jonathan's peak popularity came in 1988 when it ranked #15. Use the chart and map above to compare Jonathan's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1988 →
- Names of the 1980s →
- 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.