Jonathan is a boy name with a modern feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Jonathan means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Jonathan across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Jonathan has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Jonathan is a boy name of Hebrew origin meaning “gift of God”. the loyal friend of David in the Bible.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 874,440 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 17,226 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 6,671 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 1,186 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 8,554 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 7,957 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Jonathan per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1988 (24,513/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (1,881/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1981 (476/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1988 (324/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 1998 (147/yr).
Jonathan has been one of the most popular baby names in the United States. It was most common in 1988, when it ranked #21 nationally (given to 25,119 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1980s.
Johnathan · Jonathon · Johnathon · Jonthan · Joanthan · Johnathen · Jonathen · Jonothan
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