Jonathan Boy

Popularity: #89 · Trend: ↘ Falling

Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JON-uh-thun //ˈdʒɒnəθən//

Origin: Hebrew; English

Meaning: Hebrew: God has given; English: gift from God

Historical & Cultural Background

The name Jonathan has its roots in the Hebrew name Yonatan (יוֹנָתָן), which is derived from the elements "yeho" (יְהוֹ) meaning "Yahweh" or "the Lord" and "natan" (נָתַן) meaning "to give." Thus, the literal meaning of Jonathan can be interpreted as "Yahweh has given." This name appears in the Hebrew Bible, where Jonathan is notably recognized as the son of King Saul and a close friend of David, a significant figure in the biblical narrative. The name was subsequently adopted into Greek as Iōnathas and later into Latin as Jonathan, before making its way into Old French and finally into Middle English by the 13th century.

Historically, Jonathan has been borne by various notable figures, including saints and scholars. One prominent example is Saint Jonathan, a Christian martyr who is commemorated in various Christian traditions.

The name's biblical association has contributed to its enduring presence in Christian communities throughout the centuries. The King James Bible, published in 1611, further solidified the name's prominence in English-speaking cultures by translating the Hebrew texts into English, ensuring that the stories of biblical figures like Jonathan were widely disseminated.

Culturally, the name Jonathan has been associated with loyalty and friendship, largely due to the biblical account of Jonathan's unwavering support for David. This theme of loyalty has resonated through literature and art, reinforcing the name's significance in various cultural contexts.

Additionally, diminutive forms such as Jon or Johnny have emerged, reflecting a more informal or affectionate usage of the name while retaining its original meaning. Overall, Jonathan's rich etymological background and historical significance contribute to its lasting resonance in various cultures.

Famous people named Jonathan

In this section, you will find notable people named Jonathan. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named Jonathan who have made a significant impact on popular culture.

We also feature individuals named Jonathan who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.

Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.

Jonathan Swift is a writer best known for Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal, and The Tale of a Tub.

Jonathan Franzen is an author best known for The Corrections, Freedom, and Purity.

Jonathan Groff is an actor best known for Hamilton, Mindhunter, and Glee.

Jonathan Rhys Meyers is an actor best known for The Tudors, Match Point, and Elvis.

Jonathan Banks is an actor best known for Breaking Bad, Better Call Saul, and Wiseguy.

Jonathan Nolan is a screenwriter and producer best known for Westworld, The Dark Knight, and Interstellar.

Jonathan Demme is a director best known for The Silence of the Lambs, Philadelphia, and Rachel Getting Married.

Jonathan Adler is a designer best known for his home decor and pottery collections.

Jonathan Winters is a comedian and actor best known for Mork & Mindy, The Jonathan Winters Show, and It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World.

Jonathan Lethem is an author best known for Motherless Brooklyn, The Fortress of Solitude, and Chronic City.

Jonathan Safran Foer is an author best known for Everything Is Illuminated, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, and Eating Animals.

Jonathan Van Ness is a television personality best known for Queer Eye, Getting Curious, and his podcast.

Fictional characters named Jonathan

The following list of fictional characters named Jonathan is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.

You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.

Jonathan Joestar is a fictional character from the manga and anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure. He is the first protagonist of the series, known for his strong sense of justice and determination to defeat evil.

Jonathan Crane is a fictional character from the DC Comics universe. He is better known as Scarecrow, a villain who uses fear as a weapon against his enemies.

Sibling suggestions

If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with Jonathan, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.

DavidMichaelSamuelDanielRachelRebecca

Similar names

Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with Jonathan. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.

JosephJoshuaJacobJamesJaredJordanJesseJonas

U.S. Historical Usage

The name Jonathan was first seen in the United States in 1880.

Jonathan has ranked as high as #21 nationally, which occurred in 1988, and has been most popular in California, Texas, New York, Florida, and Illinois.

In the past 5 years the name Jonathan has been trending down compared to the previous 5 years.

Popularity Over Time (National)

The name Jonathan is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when Jonathan was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.

Popularity Over Time (National) — Table

We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for Jonathan.

Year Total Births Boy Girl
2025 3,827 3,822 5
2024 4,028 4,028 0
2023 4,100 4,094 6
2022 4,228 4,220 8
2021 4,470 4,465 5
2020 4,766 4,757 9
2019 5,476 5,470 6
2018 5,786 5,779 7
2017 6,540 6,534 6
2016 6,998 6,982 16
2015 7,671 7,660 11
2014 8,130 8,120 10
2013 8,589 8,577 12
2012 9,382 9,372 10
2011 10,275 10,254 21
2010 11,154 11,140 14
2009 11,400 11,386 14
2008 12,923 12,905 18
2007 13,833 13,809 24
2006 14,414 14,387 27
2005 14,470 14,443 27
2004 14,452 14,375 77
2003 15,026 14,994 32
2002 15,549 15,514 35
2001 16,186 16,147 39
2000 16,937 16,888 49
1999 17,106 17,068 38
1998 17,686 17,649 37
1997 18,585 18,542 43
1996 18,664 18,602 62
1995 18,211 18,155 56
1994 19,144 19,068 76
1993 20,025 19,954 71
1992 21,477 21,413 64
1991 23,062 22,975 87
1990 24,169 24,077 92
1989 23,709 23,608 101
1988 24,513 24,349 164
1987 23,298 23,119 179
1986 24,147 23,973 174
1985 24,297 24,116 181
1984 23,528 23,345 183
1983 22,933 22,756 177
1982 23,281 23,113 168
1981 22,740 22,588 152
1980 19,090 18,986 104
1979 14,411 14,331 80
1978 12,595 12,514 81
1977 12,400 12,319 81
1976 11,396 11,314 82
1975 10,959 10,904 55
1974 10,293 10,230 63
1973 10,336 10,273 63
1972 9,270 9,219 51
1971 8,672 8,628 44
1970 8,229 8,194 35
1969 7,111 7,080 31
1968 5,831 5,808 23
1967 4,940 4,920 20
1966 4,682 4,662 20
1965 4,738 4,723 15
1964 4,663 4,644 19
1963 4,487 4,471 16
1962 4,267 4,253 14
1961 3,505 3,485 20
1960 3,354 3,343 11
1959 3,091 3,082 9
1958 3,091 3,084 7
1957 3,060 3,048 12
1956 3,130 3,124 6
1955 3,036 3,025 11
1954 2,751 2,743 8
1953 2,335 2,335 0
1952 2,062 2,062 0
1951 1,775 1,775 0
1950 1,538 1,538 0
1949 1,431 1,431 0
1948 1,282 1,282 0
1947 1,198 1,198 0
1946 1,102 1,102 0
1945 881 881 0
1944 639 639 0
1943 575 575 0
1942 553 553 0
1941 359 359 0
1940 276 276 0
1939 295 295 0
1938 235 235 0
1937 197 197 0
1936 172 172 0
1935 167 167 0
1934 133 133 0
1933 126 126 0
1932 118 118 0
1931 117 117 0
1930 103 103 0
1929 91 91 0
1928 115 115 0
1927 108 108 0
1926 106 106 0
1925 114 114 0
1924 97 97 0
1923 97 97 0
1922 117 117 0
1921 122 122 0
1920 111 111 0
1919 77 77 0
1918 83 83 0
1917 96 96 0
1916 100 100 0
1915 83 83 0
1914 77 77 0
1913 53 53 0
1912 48 48 0
1911 24 24 0
1910 19 19 0
1909 15 15 0
1908 12 12 0
1907 11 11 0
1906 12 12 0
1905 14 14 0
1904 14 14 0
1903 19 19 0
1902 22 22 0
1901 9 9 0
1900 11 11 0
1899 8 8 0
1898 13 13 0
1897 15 15 0
1896 18 18 0
1895 9 9 0
1894 16 16 0
1893 9 9 0
1892 13 13 0
1891 12 12 0
1890 16 16 0
1889 12 12 0
1888 17 17 0
1887 10 10 0
1886 19 19 0
1885 30 30 0
1884 21 21 0
1883 17 17 0
1882 27 27 0
1881 21 21 0
1880 18 18 0

Top States for Jonathan (2024)

We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 584
15%
TX 544
14%
FL 274
7%
NY 202
5%
NC 150
4%
GA 142
4%
PA 129
3%
IL 123
3%
NJ 117
3%
OH 115
3%
TN 113
3%
VA 109
3%
AZ 98
2%
WA 98
2%
MD 87
2%
MA 81
2%
IN 80
2%
CO 76
2%
MI 66
2%
SC 64
2%
AL 61
2%
WI 47
1%
MO 47
1%
MN 44
1%
UT 42
1%
KY 41
1%
CT 38
1%
KS 37
1%
OK 36
1%
OR 36
1%
LA 35
1%
NV 33
1%
MS 28
1%
AR 28
1%
IA 27
1%
NM 21
1%
ID 17
0%
NE 17
0%
NH 16
0%
RI 14
0%
SD 14
0%
DE 14
0%
ND 13
0%
AK 12
0%
WV 10
0%
DC 10
0%
MT 9
0%
ME 8
0%