Jon
Jon was the 951st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 246 babies. Its best year was 1968, when it ranked 65th; the most babies were born in 1964 (4,911). Over the last ten years it has moved down 214 places. More babies were named Jon in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Meaning (as John) 'God is gracious' (Hebrew Yohanan) · Hebrew
- Rank in 2025
- #951 boys, down 141 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 246boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19644,911 babies
- Total since 1880
- 169,391babies recorded
What does the name Jon mean?
Jon is a spelling of John, pronounced the same way, so it shares John's meaning and origin.
John comes through Latin Iohannes and Greek Iōannēs from Hebrew Yohanan, probably shortened from a longer form meaning 'God is gracious'. John the Baptist and John the Apostle made it one of the central Christian names, and twenty popes bore it. Jack began as a medieval pet form of John, and the feminine Jane and Gianna are forms of the same name.
יוֹחָנָן (Biblical Hebrew, “Yohanan”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God, names that mean grace.
Jon popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 1,249 since 1924.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #951 | 246 |
| 2020 | #810 | 287 |
| 2010 | #576 | 440 |
| 2000 | #354 | 752 |
| 1990 | #216 | 1,424 |
| 1980 | #127 | 2,177 |
| 1970 | #68 | 4,371 |
| 1960 | #97 | 4,403 |
| 1950 | #138 | 1,945 |
| 1940 | #123 | 1,545 |
| 1930 | #673 | 86 |
| 1920 | #979 | 50 |
| 1910 | #1,508 | 6 |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Jon, counting every spelling?
Jon is a spelling of John, a name family that ranked #24 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #951 for Jon on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,273 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| John | 8,027 | #23 | 40,105 |
| Jon | 246 | #951 | 1,307 |
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 Jon?
246 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jon (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jon 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 34 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jon.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jon?
About 128,600 people born in the US named Jon are alive today, with a median age of 57; half are between 44 and 65. That makes Jon a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Jon by state
How common Jon was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Mississippi (6.0×), Alabama (3.7×), Arkansas (2.6×), Tennessee (2.0×), Kentucky (2.0×). In 22 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jon: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jon, they share its era and feel.
Jon is also a nickname for Jonathan.
Questions about the name Jon
What does Jon mean?
Jon is a spelling of John, which means “'God is gracious' (Hebrew Yohanan)” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jon?
Jon was the 951st most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 246 babies. Its best year was 1968, when it ranked 65th; the most babies were born in 1964 (4,911). Over the last ten years it has moved down 214 places. More babies were named Jon in the 1960s than in any other decade.
Is Jon a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jon in the US.
Where is Jon most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jon was most common in Mississippi (0.92 per 1,000 boys), followed by Alabama and Arkansas.