Jonah
Jonah was the 128th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,828 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 124th; the most babies were born in 2008 (2,981). Over the last ten years it has moved up 15 places. More babies were named Jonah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning dove · Hebrew
Say it JOH-nuh /ˈdʒoʊnə/
- Rank in 2025
- #128 boys, unchanged since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,828boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20082,981 babies
- Total since 1880
- 86,075babies recorded
What does the name Jonah mean?
Jonah comes from the Hebrew Yonah, 'dove'. In the Bible Jonah is the prophet sent to Nineveh who is swallowed by a great fish. The Greek and Latin form was Jonas, which DMNES lists as the medieval headword, also glossing it 'dove'; English Bibles later used Jonah. Wikipedia describes Jonah as a prophet honored across the Abrahamic religions. Jonas remains the usual form in many European languages, and Yonah is the modern Hebrew form.
יוֹנָה (Biblical Hebrew, “Yonah, dove”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Jonas, Yonah, Yunus, Jona.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean an animal.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Jonas', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Hebrew Bible, Jonah 1:1, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jonah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Jonah (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Jonah popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 792 since 1964, 39 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #128 | 2,828 |
| 2020 | #128 | 2,821 |
| 2010 | #143 | 2,775 |
| 2000 | #192 | 1,833 |
| 1990 | #654 | 239 |
| 1980 | #412 | 394 |
| 1970 | #963 | 70 |
| 1960 | #1,541 | 28 |
| 1950 | #1,589 | 22 |
| 1940 | #1,266 | 29 |
| 1930 | #1,729 | 19 |
| 1920 | #1,012 | 47 |
| 1910 | #1,509 | 6 |
| 1900 | #817 | 11 |
| 1890 | #705 | 9 |
| 1880 | #714 | 8 |
How popular is Jonah, counting every spelling?
Jonah is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #132 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #128 for Jonah on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,828 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jonah | 2,828 | #128 | 14,114 |
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 Jonah?
2,828 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jonah (0.78 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jonah 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 3 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jonah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jonah?
About 82,600 people born in the US named Jonah are alive today, with a median age of 15; half are between 8 and 24. That makes Jonah 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.
Jonah by state
How common Jonah was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Maine (2.0×), District of Columbia (2.0×), West Virginia (1.8×), Hawaii (1.8×), New Hampshire (1.6×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Wyoming, Montana, Arizona.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jonah: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jonah, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jonah · Sibling names for Jonah
Questions about the name Jonah
What does Jonah mean?
Jonah means “dove” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jonah?
Jonah was the 128th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,828 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 124th; the most babies were born in 2008 (2,981). Over the last ten years it has moved up 15 places. More babies were named Jonah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Jonah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jonah in the US.
Where is Jonah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jonah was most common in Maine (3.35 per 1,000 boys), followed by District of Columbia and West Virginia.