Jonathan Name Meaning, Origin, Popularity, Boy Names Like Jonathan

Jonathan Name Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: jah-nah-th(an)
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Jonathan Name Meaning

Jonathan is John’s longer friend, a Top 100 regular from the 1960s on. He’s a likeable choice that’s cooled off in recent years, falling into the sweet-spot territory of being recognized but not overused.

A bit more mature than his chart peers, Jonathan doesn’t have to worry about seeming childish. He has a sophisticated air that’s hard to overlook and easily blends in professional life. While he’s a very adult name for a little one, he can easily be shortened to Jon or Jonny if you’d like.

Appearing in the Bible as the oldest son of Saul, he’s regarded as a hero and portrayed as a strong man with military prowess. This paired with his meaning of “God has given” makes him an excellent choice for those looking for an under-the-radar Biblical name with established roots.

While Jonathan does have some tough guy associations, he’s not at all gritty or rugged. In fact, he’s a surprisingly soothing pick with a soft sound and gentle spirit. Jonathan isn’t as boisterous with his masculinity as Hunter or Archer, but he has the chops for it if needed.

Jonathan is a great pick for those looking to hop aboard the J names for boys trend as well as for those looking for a name with a solid foundation. He fits in well with other Top 100 picks yet is polished enough to stand apart.

Jonathan Name Popularity

How popular is the name Jonathan? Here’s everything we know.

Year	Rank	# Births	% Births
1910	—	0	0%
1911	—	0	0%
1912	—	12	0.0024%
1913	—	13	0.0023%
1914	—	25	0.0036%
1915	—	26	0.0029%
1916	—	45	0.0047%
1917	—	38	0.0038%
1918	—	34	0.0032%
1919	—	42	0.004%
1920	—	62	0.0056%
1921	—	65	0.0057%
1922	—	67	0.006%
1923	—	45	0.004%
1924	—	44	0.0038%
1925	—	62	0.0055%
1926	—	34	0.0031%
1927	—	48	0.0043%
1928	—	58	0.0054%
1929	—	37	0.0036%
1930	—	47	0.0045%
1931	—	63	0.0064%
1932	—	71	0.0072%
1933	—	79	0.0085%
1934	—	86	0.0089%
1935	—	124	0.0128%
1936	—	123	0.0128%
1937	—	147	0.0149%
1938	—	174	0.017%
1939	—	247	0.0243%
1940	—	224	0.0211%
1941	—	308	0.0274%
1942	—	510	0.0404%
1943	—	540	0.0414%
1944	—	612	0.0494%
1945	—	852	0.0699%
1946	—	1,076	0.0729%
1947	—	1,182	0.0708%
1948	—	1,266	0.0793%
1949	—	1,413	0.0878%
1950	—	1,513	0.094%
1951	—	1,775	0.1047%
1952	—	2,057	0.1178%
1953	—	2,325	0.1314%
1954	—	2,734	0.1496%
1955	—	3,015	0.1639%
1956	—	3,106	0.1645%
1957	—	3,042	0.1581%
1958	—	3,075	0.1627%
1959	—	3,074	0.1618%
1960	—	3,349	0.1768%
1961	—	3,474	0.184%
1962	—	4,263	0.2322%
1963	—	4,464	0.2487%
1964	—	4,643	0.2638%
1965	—	4,730	0.2892%
1966	—	4,665	0.2988%
1967	—	4,920	0.3242%
1968	—	5,808	0.3868%
1969	—	7,087	0.46%
1970	—	8,204	0.5155%
1971	—	8,633	0.5745%
1972	—	9,226	0.6774%
1973	—	10,274	0.7925%
1974	—	10,237	0.7876%
1975	—	10,914	0.8493%
1976	—	11,320	0.8783%
1977	—	12,324	0.9143%
1978	—	12,520	0.9312%
1979	—	14,331	1.0164%
1980	—	18,994	1.2991%
1981	—	22,600	1.5375%
1982	—	23,128	1.5477%
1983	—	22,747	1.5415%
1984	—	23,337	1.5688%
1985	—	24,119	1.5891%
1986	—	23,969	1.5879%
1987	—	23,100	1.5137%
1988	—	24,346	1.5623%
1989	—	23,599	1.4624%
1990	—	24,074	1.4525%
1991	—	22,971	1.4093%
1992	—	21,403	1.3409%
1993	—	19,946	1.2794%
1994	—	19,060	1.242%
1995	—	18,153	1.2045%
1996	—	18,592	1.2417%
1997	—	18,539	1.2535%
1998	—	17,647	1.1791%
1999	—	17,062	1.1393%
2000	—	16,882	1.1051%
2001	—	16,143	1.0714%
2002	—	15,509	1.0349%
2003	—	14,985	0.985%
2004	—	14,363	0.9424%
2005	—	14,436	0.9442%
2006	—	14,374	0.918%
2007	—	13,792	0.8741%
2008	—	12,883	0.8335%
2009	—	11,371	0.7608%
2010	—	11,121	0.7717%
2011	—	10,230	0.718%
2012	—	9,354	0.6564%
2013	—	8,548	0.6004%
2014	—	8,102	0.5561%
2015	—	7,615	0.5234%
2016	—	6,941	0.4814%
2017	—	6,463	0.4631%
2018	—	5,703	0.4151%
2019	—	5,413	0.3999%
2020	—	4,626	0.3634%
2021	—	4,405	0.3603%
2022	—	4,170	0.3161%
2023	—	4,081	0.3153%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Jonathan

If you like Jonathan, you’ll love these other names like Jonathan.

What names are diminutives of Jonathan?

A diminutive is a name that’s like Jonathan sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Jonathan, but shorter.

Name	Meaning	Origin
John	God is gracious	Hebrew
Johnnie	God is gracious	Hebrew
Johnny	God is gracious	Hebrew
Jon	God is gracious	English
Jona	God is gracious	Hebrew
Jonny		English
Nate	God has given	Hebrew
Nathan	He gave	Hebrew

What names are variants of Jonathan?

Mix it up with these names that are a variation of the name Jonathan.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Johnathan	God has given	Hebrew
Johnathon	Gift of God	Hebrew
Jonathon	Gift of God	Hebrew

What names sound like Jonathan?

If you like how Jonathan sounds, you might also like these names that sound like Jonathan.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Ethan	Enduring and strong	Hebrew
Johnson	Son of John	English

What names are similar to Jonathan?

Find a name that’s like Jonathan, but just a little bit different.

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Alexander	Defender of man	Greek

Benjamin	A favorite son	Hebrew
Henry	Home ruler	English
Jacob	Supplanter	Hebrew
Michael	Who is Like God?	Hebrew
Nathaniel	God has given	Hebrew
Robert	Bright fame	German
Thomas	Twin	Greek
Wesley	Western meadow	English
William	A willing protector	German

Lists With Jonathan

Find inspiration in these baby boy name lists featuring the name Jonathan.

Siblings of Jonathan

Mamas with kids named Jonathan also have kids with these names.

Name	Meaning	Origin
Stephen	Crown	English
Lydia	From Lydia	Greek
Gloria	Glory	Latin
Grace	Gracious one	English
Timothy	Honoring God	Greek
Peter	Stone	Greek

Bennett	Blessed	English
Darra	Nugget of wisdom	Hebrew
Rico	Home ruler	Italian
Maribel	“Beauteous Mary,” from Mart/ and the French belle, beautiful.	Modern
Alina	Noble one	German
Anaya	Free	Indian (Sanskrit)

Share Your Thoughts

33 Comments

Natalie Sep 17 at 12:00 pm

We wanted a name from the bible and loved that Jonathan means “gift of God” and because we had our son at an older age like Zacharias and Elizabeth with John the Baptist. It is the perfect name for our little gift from God!

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Victoria Aug 1 at 12:10 pm

Jonathan is one of mine and my husband’s favorite Bible characters. We also choose our children’s names based on meaning, and Jonathan means “gift of God.”

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Mona Jun 27 at 8:45 am

I like this name

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Rachel Nov 30 at 1:29 pm

His name means “gift of God”. His gender was a surprise and we were delighted to find out he was a boy! He came out a whopping 9lbs 14oz!

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Jonathan twizerimana Mar 29 at 7:05 pm

Good thank you.

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Quintina Feb 24 at 8:44 am

I had full names picked out for him and I choose Jonathan I was trying to find something that goes with his middle name Lonnie so Jonathan Lonnie or Alonzo Lonnie or Leonco Lonnie so my mom help me pick out Jonathan Lonnie

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Dara+Rose+Lynch Dec 25 at 1:57 am

Not gender neutral

Gift from god in Hebrew

I was raised both Jewish and Christian so wanted a name that represents both religions which is found in the Old Testament

Jonathan was best friends and watched out for David in the Bible and my name is female derivative of David

Strong sounding boy name

In the future, When he has his name on a resume it will be recognizable

Dislike everyone wanting to give him. Nickname or shorten it

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Dara+Rose+Lynch Dec 25 at 1:57 am

Not gender neutral

Gift from god in Hebrew

I was raised both Jewish and Christian so wanted a name that represents both religions which is found in the Old Testament

Jonathan was best friends and watched out for David in the Bible and my name is female derivative of David

Strong sounding boy name

In the future, When he has his name on a resume it will be recognizable

Dislike everyone wanting to give him. Nickname or shorten it
I will not

Reply
Alexandra May 26 at 2:13 pm

Traditional and biblical

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Jessika Mar 20 at 7:36 am

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved the name Jonathan for a boy and Elizabeth for a girl. When I married my husband, I gained a brother-in-law named Jonathan and when we found out we were expecting another boy (third boy, fourth child), we knew we would be using that name at last. His full name is Jonathan Leslie – Leslie after my best friend and soul sister. (All three of our boys have ‘girl’ middle names.)

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Lydia Sep 1 at 7:22 am

We gave him his great grandpas name.
What I don’t like about the name is that most people from our community think children with that name are very stubborn.

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Jaeda Mar 8 at 6:23 am

Love the meaning. God has given me this child and I am so blessed. Also my wonderful husband’s middle name. I don’t like the nicknames that go with it though.

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Portia Feb 5 at 5:29 pm

My baby is beautiful , he will be 2 months February 20th . Loves to drink his milk born very small but thriving very well. I picked his name after his father. I don’t like the name so I call him JJ or Junior . The father is a great help with my other children so I basically felt guilty and appreciative for all that he does so I just allowed it for future conversation and peace .

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Bethany Dec 14 at 4:19 pm

We picked out a list of possible baby names years ago, and when we were pregnant with each of our boys, we decided then. We like traditional names that have cute nicknames. We call our son Jonjon.

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Maya Nov 22 at 1:36 pm

Ggh

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Alexis Oct 13 at 12:20 pm

Jonathan was not my name pick. Fletcher (his middle name) was my pick. My partner, named Jonathan after his own father, really wanted to name our first son Jonathan. i think its super old fashion and cheesy but Jonathan, my partner, has been more supportive than I could ever have imagined a partner could be and naming our first baby Jonathan was the only thing he requested. I figured I’d let him have it.
We picked the middle name by writing names with a white board marker on the bathroom mirror. if the you absolutely did not like the name, you could erase it. if you felt neutral, leave it. if you LOVED the name you could circle/star/decorate it. we both loved the name fletcher for a middle name.

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Kari Sep 15 at 10:06 pm

This name means God’s gift. It is not a family name, but still very full of significance because he’s our firstborn, but third pregnancy.

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Jasper May 27 at 6:39 am

His full name is Jonathan Usra which together means God has given first light which is great because he is our first child.

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Kayla Apr 19 at 10:45 am

Love the fullness of Jonathan Levi Dean. And the biblical backing of John.

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Carol Feb 17 at 8:34 am

It is a family name, but with so many John’s in the family we will use his nickname, Jack!

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Karen Jan 21 at 12:32 pm

Very healthy boy

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Caraleigh Dec 3 at 12:04 am

Jonathan means God’s gift… this perfectly describes the way I feel about our son!!

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Karina Nov 29 at 2:32 am

Jonathan is a strong yet very warm name.

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Ana Sep 19 at 9:36 am

Jonathan Hosea means “God has given salvation”

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Gina May 9 at 11:17 am

I chose Jonathan because my dads name is John. He passed away 2 years ago and I wanted something to honor him. John sounded too old for my liking so we went with Jonathan and most call him Baby Jon or Little Jon.

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Amanda Mar 10 at 4:18 pm

We chose this name because of the story of David and Jonathan from the Bible. Jonathan was in line to be king, but he knew that God’s plan was for David to be king. We liked the example of setting aside our worldly “rights” for God’s will, and trusting that His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. On a less serious note, no one in our family is named Jonathan, and I haven’t had a student with this name either (picking names as a teacher is so hard!) I like that as he gets older he has choices for nicknames.

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Ashley Jan 17 at 9:11 am

We always pray about what we should name our children, as we believe names are very important. So when we thought of the name Jonathan we knew it was right for our 3rd baby , we know several Jonathan’s who have awesome characteristics and we also like the meaning of the name which is Jehovah has given, as we waited 8 years , had 10 miscarriages and a still birth before we had him. He is our rainbow miracle baby!

Reply
- Jonathan Johnpet Oct 21 at 2:29 am
  
  Hey Ashley, that’s so wonderful, he is indeed a gift… I’m happy for you. GOD bless you.
  
  Reply
Kutlo Nov 15 at 2:11 am

Jonathan means God’s gift or Jehovah has given. My Jonathan is a great gift from God, I love him so much.

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Katelyn Senesac Aug 16 at 11:22 am

I named my baby Jonathan after his daddy.

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Laci Jul 16 at 10:16 pm

My Great Grandpa was John, my Grandpa was John, my Dad was Johnny (my Grandma wanted it to be different). My husband (Mike) wanted our boy’s name to be pretty standard, a “Good Catholic name” – ha ha. Nothing to strange. He picked Jonathan and I thought it was a nice variation on my families name. So Jonathan Michael it is. My 13 year old daughter (Harper) and 10 year old son (Elliot) gave it their approval. It was so hard to find a name all 4 of us liked!

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Asheena Henry Jul 5 at 6:13 pm

It means given by God
I love the loyalty of Jonathan to king David in the bible. I would like my son to demonstrate the same character traits.

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Elizabeth Jun 13 at 7:28 pm

Jonathan means “gift from God”, which is definitely what he is, as a “surprise” baby. We also loved the biblical character of Jonathan, as he showed a lot of integrity, especially in very tricky situations regarding his friendship with David. Incidentally, one of Jonathan’s middle names is David, and we hope our son will learn and internalize what it means to be a good friend.

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Jonathan