Johnathan
Johnathan was the 508th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 594 babies. Its best year was 1990, when it ranked 108th with 3,245 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 200 places. More babies were named Johnathan in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as Jonathan) God has given · Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #508 boys, down 90 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 594boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19903,245 babies
- Total since 1880
- 98,611babies recorded
What does the name Johnathan mean?
Johnathan is a spelling of Jonathan, pronounced the same way, so it shares Jonathan's meaning and origin.
Jonathan is the English form of the Hebrew Yehonatan or Yonatan, made from a short form of the divine name and a verb meaning 'to give'; DMNES glosses it 'God has given'. In the Bible Jonathan is King Saul's son and David's close friend. DMNES records the name among Protestants in 16th-century England, and it became common in English-speaking countries after the Reformation. It is a different name from John, although both begin with a short form of the divine name; Nathan and Nathaniel share its 'give' root.
יְהוֹנָתָן (Biblical Hebrew, “Yehonatan, God has given”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Jon, Jonathon, Johnathan, Yonatan, Nathan.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean gift.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Jonathan', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, I Samuel 13:2, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jonathan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Johnathan popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 349 since 1969.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #508 | 594 |
| 2020 | #418 | 713 |
| 2010 | #216 | 1,651 |
| 2000 | #157 | 2,469 |
| 1990 | #108 | 3,245 |
| 1980 | #174 | 1,409 |
| 1970 | #364 | 503 |
| 1960 | #653 | 143 |
| 1950 | #1,149 | 39 |
| 1940 | #2,246 | 11 |
| 1930 | #2,699 | 10 |
| 1920 | #3,647 | 7 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Johnathan, counting every spelling?
Johnathan is a spelling of Jonathan, a name family that ranked #76 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #508 for Johnathan on its own. Together these spellings went to 4,610 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonathan | 3,822 | #89 | 20,629 |
| Johnathan | 594 | #508 | 3,142 |
| Jonathon | 119 | #1,488 | 609 |
| Johnathon | 66 | #2,171 | 390 |
| Jonnathan | 9 | #8,559 | 46 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Johnathan?
594 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Johnathan (0.16 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Johnathan born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 14 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Johnathan.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Johnathan?
About 93,700 people born in the US named Johnathan are alive today, with a median age of 30; half are between 20 and 39. That makes Johnathan mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Johnathan by state
How common Johnathan was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alabama (1.9×), West Virginia (1.9×), Missouri (1.8×), Kentucky (1.7×), Oregon (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Colorado.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Johnathan: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Johnathan, they share its era and feel.
Questions about the name Johnathan
What does Johnathan mean?
Johnathan is a spelling of Jonathan, which means “God has given” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Johnathan?
Johnathan was the 508th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 594 babies. Its best year was 1990, when it ranked 108th with 3,245 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 200 places. More babies were named Johnathan in the 1990s than in any other decade.
Is Johnathan a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Johnathan in the US.
Where is Johnathan most popular?
In 2021–2025, Johnathan was most common in Alabama (0.69 per 1,000 boys), followed by West Virginia and Missouri.