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

Jonah Name Origin: Hebrew
Pronunciation: joh-nah
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Jonah Name Meaning

The name Jonah is derived from the Hebrew word “Yonah” which means “dove”. It’s thought that the name is a reference to the prophet’s peaceful and gentle nature, as well as the fact that he was spared from the fish’s belly.

Origins of the Name Jonah

The name Jonah is most famously linked to the Bible story of the prophet who was swallowed by a whale. The Book of Jonah tells the tale of a man who was sent by God to preach to the city of Nineveh, but tried to flee and ended up in the belly of a great fish. After being swallowed, he prayed to God for deliverance, and was then vomited back onto dry land.

Popularity of the Name Jonah

The name Jonah has been in use since the Middle Ages, with its popularity growing steadily over the centuries. In the United States, it’s been in the top 100 names since the 1970s, and it’s currently ranked in the top 10. The name is popular around the world, with variations such as Jon, Yonah, Yonas, and Jona appearing in many languages.

Final Thoughts on the Name Jonah

Well, there you have it: the history, origin, meaning, and popularity of the name Jonah. It’s a timeless name with a powerful story behind it, and it’s no surprise that it remains a popular choice for parents today.

Jonah Name Popularity

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

Year	Rank	# Births	% Births
1910	—	0	0%
1911	—	0	0%
1912	—	0	0%
1913	—	0	0%
1914	1,291	5	0.0007%
1915	997	14	0.0015%
1916	977	14	0.0014%
1917	1,231	7	0.0007%
1918	1,319	6	0.0006%
1919	—	0	0%
1920	989	19	0.0017%
1921	1,263	9	0.0008%
1922	1,100	14	0.0013%
1923	—	0	0%
1924	1,263	10	0.0009%
1925	1,450	6	0.0005%
1926	1,419	6	0.0005%
1927	1,164	12	0.0011%
1928	—	0	0%
1929	1,152	11	0.0011%
1930	—	0	0%
1931	1,382	6	0.0006%
1932	—	0	0%
1933	1,251	6	0.0006%
1934	1,441	5	0.0005%
1935	—	0	0%
1936	1,418	5	0.0005%
1937	—	0	0%
1938	—	0	0%
1939	—	0	0%
1940	1,304	6	0.0006%
1941	—	0	0%
1942	1,482	5	0.0004%
1943	1,029	14	0.0011%
1944	—	0	0%
1945	—	0	0%
1946	1,373	5	0.0003%
1947	1,373	6	0.0004%
1948	—	0	0%
1949	—	0	0%
1950	—	0	0%
1951	1,290	7	0.0004%
1952	1,296	8	0.0005%
1953	1,153	12	0.0007%
1954	—	0	0%
1955	1,097	16	0.0009%
1956	—	0	0%
1957	—	0	0%
1958	1,547	5	0.0003%
1959	—	0	0%
1960	—	0	0%
1961	—	0	0%
1962	—	0	0%
1963	—	0	0%
1964	1,559	5	0.0003%
1965	1,282	9	0.0006%
1966	—	0	0%
1967	1,406	6	0.0004%
1968	1,302	10	0.0007%
1969	1,109	17	0.0011%
1970	996	29	0.0018%
1971	688	96	0.0064%
1972	691	90	0.0066%
1973	738	72	0.0056%
1974	694	90	0.0069%
1975	748	73	0.0057%
1976	632	119	0.0092%
1977	573	165	0.0122%
1978	728	89	0.0066%
1979	400	359	0.0255%
1980	430	324	0.0222%
1981	422	345	0.0235%
1982	510	232	0.0155%
1983	521	209	0.0142%
1984	539	208	0.014%
1985	528	226	0.0149%
1986	591	179	0.0119%
1987	551	225	0.0147%
1988	629	176	0.0113%
1989	610	214	0.0133%
1990	675	178	0.0107%
1991	659	188	0.0115%
1992	700	170	0.0107%
1993	464	415	0.0266%
1994	245	1,164	0.0758%
1995	215	1,355	0.0899%
1996	196	1,560	0.1042%
1997	196	1,605	0.1085%
1998	216	1,454	0.0971%
1999	197	1,697	0.1133%
2000	192	1,819	0.1191%
2001	186	1,974	0.131%
2002	166	2,302	0.1536%
2003	164	2,431	0.1598%
2004	177	2,290	0.1502%
2005	183	2,210	0.1445%
2006	170	2,401	0.1533%
2007	164	2,505	0.1588%
2008	136	2,969	0.1921%
2009	147	2,712	0.1814%
2010	143	2,773	0.1924%
2011	143	2,857	0.2005%
2012	128	2,948	0.2069%
2013	132	2,891	0.2031%
2014	138	2,895	0.1987%
2015	143	2,897	0.1991%
2016	150	2,756	0.1911%
2017	154	2,494	0.1787%
2018	145	2,692	0.1959%
2019	141	2,653	0.196%
2020	128	2,730	0.2145%
2021	137	2,704	0.2212%
2022	135	2,724	0.2065%

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Data via SSA.gov.

Names Like Jonah

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

What names are variants of Jonah?

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

Name	Meaning	Origin	Popularity	Other Gender
Jonas	Dove	Hebrew
Jonasco	Dove	Hebrew

What names sound like Jonah?

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

Name	Meaning	Origin
Jon	God is gracious	English
Jona	God is gracious	Hebrew
Jonn		English
Jonny		English

Lists With Jonah

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

Siblings of Jonah

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

Name	Meaning	Origin
Ezra	Help	Hebrew
Nicolas	Victory of the people	Greek
Avalyn	Beautiful Bird	English
Zachariah	The Lord recalled	Hebrew
Gabriel	God is my strength	Hebrew

Share Your Thoughts

21 Comments

Elizabeth Feb 26 at 7:46 am

Full name jonah Hamza chosen for its strong biblical meaning and Hamza meaning lion.

Reply
Katy Oct 22 at 1:10 pm

My husband picked the name after listening to a sermon at church from the book of Jonah when we were dating (11 years ago!).

Reply
Maryellen Aug 28 at 12:45 pm

I chose the name Jonah because I had been reading the story weeks prior and loved how the lord was so merciful to him and how Jonah really showed the human side of human nature . It was raw and real and spoke to me . That’s all 🙂

Reply
Sadie and Jonah Feb 22 at 5:30 pm

i like the name Jonah because its a cute boys name and i personally like it its really cute and such a badass name for a boy

Reply
Soda Feb 22 at 5:26 pm

I like the name Jonah because I think it?s an amazing boy name it? a perfect name you know.

Reply
- Soda Feb 22 at 5:27 pm
  
  I meant to type it?s
  
  Reply
Jenna Jan 18 at 8:06 am

My husband and I were really stuck on a name!! We wanted him to share the same nickname as my husband (Joey) but didn’t want that to be his name. We made a list of names that started with “Jo” and Jonah was the only one that stood out to me. We didn’t love it at first, and actually had other names we took to the hospital with us where we’d make our final decision. After he was born, we still didn’t feel too strongly about any name… but then we realized Jonah was also a beautiful mix of both of our names: Jenna and Josiah. Once we realized that we knew there was no better fitted name for our little guy.

Reply
Jane Aug 13 at 8:00 pm

I loved this name, because of Jonah the prophet. Jonah is silly and fun, and human! God still chooses Jonah to tell the people, even though Jonah was a goofy guy. I want my son to be fun and joke around and still listen to god, just like Jonah. We chose the middle name Lewis, which was our second choice! The name Jonah Lewis sounds so handsome! My husband joked around about the middle name Vark, (Jonah-Vark) but a vetoed that pretty quickly.

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Erin Jul 30 at 10:32 am

We chose Jonah because we could already tell he was going to be stubborn! Just like how Jonah in the Bible didn’t want to go to Nineveh like God commanded. We chose his middle name to be Micah. His name meaning is messenger of God.

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Emmie Jan 23 at 11:24 am

I wanted a biblical name that wasn’t super popular and it was something me and my partner agreed on.

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Emily Oct 14 at 10:25 am

He was born early- very early. But God protected him just like he protected Jonah if the Bible!!

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JAZMIN Sep 23 at 10:19 am

I have twins one named jonah and one named jayden

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Kelsey Sep 5 at 7:32 pm

Loved this name as it wasn’t a popular name but still common and not unheard of.

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Jonah Zayne Feb 29 at 10:51 am

I chose jonah because its out of the bible & i wanted him to have a biblical name

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Shauna Sep 12 at 11:34 am

Jonah is the little boys name is Sleepless in Seattle and I’ve always loved it. After having 6 boy names picked and a looooong labor, my hubby told me to pick. Jonah Austin (Austin is my husbands grandpa’s name) is the name and fits our extremely happy and chill babe??

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Amy Sep 6 at 8:42 pm

We liked Jonah as a girl name for something a little different. And, my after my aunt who was called JoJo.

Reply
Mary Ann Aug 29 at 6:13 pm

We like Hebrew boys names and this one goes well with the other sibling names.

Reply
Danielle Jun 11 at 11:16 am

We paired it with a family name so it’s Jonah Ryan.
We felt like the name was a strong named that reminded us of strength. That is what it took to get through this very tough pregnancy and what it took for baby Jonah to come into the world during a home birth!

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Jenna Jun 8 at 7:49 pm

We love the soft sound and the book of Jonah from the Bible.

Reply
Pilar Jun 8 at 11:44 am

Honestly we spent days reading off of names and finally found love with that one

Reply
Renee Apr 22 at 1:45 pm

First name was a name of a great man in the Bible. And the meaning was something to be sought after. Jonah means peacemaker and he is truly a peacemaker even at 4 years old! His middle name is after his father. An amazing God fearing man. Also, the meaning is strong and godly.

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