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BabyNames
Boy name#30 of boy names

Jonathan

Pronounced JH AA1 N AE1 T HH AA1 N (ARPABET)

  • 3 syllables
  • Peaked 1988
  • 145 years in use
  • Biblical
  • 9 spellings
Compare

How popular is Jonathan?

Jonathan is a boys' name, and has been in the record since the data starts in 1880. It has been given to 1,068,403 children — the 30th most common boys' name on record.

It is falling away, down 54% on the previous decade. Its best single year was 1988, when 30,366 children were given it.

Nine other spellings are counted in that total — Johnathan, Jonathon, Johnathon and six more — because they are pronounced identically.

012,50025,00037,50050,00018901920195019802010
1988Boys: 30,366Girls: 194

Spelling variants

These spellings sound identical to Jonathan and are counted together with it, which is why the totals here are higher than a single-spelling count.

  • Johnathan
  • Jonathon
  • Johnathon
  • Jonathen
  • Johnathen
  • Jonnathan
  • Jonothan
  • Jonathyn
  • Jonnathon

Characteristics

  • Biblical (Person)
  • 3 syllables
Phonetic detail
Pronunciations:
JH AA1 N AE1 T HH AA1 N · JH AA1 N AE1 T HH AE1 N · JH AA1 N AE1 T HH AH1 N · JH AA1 N AE1 T HH EH1 N · JH AA1 N AH0 TH AH0 N
Stress pattern:
111 · 111 · 111 · 111 · 100
Syllables:
3

Stress digits mark unstressed (0), primary (1) and secondary (2) syllables.

Names like Jonathan

Same first letter and syllable count, peaking around the same time.

Sibling names for Jonathan

Names from the same era with a matching rhythm but a different initial.

Frequently asked questions

How popular is the name Jonathan?
Jonathan ranks 30th among boys' names in US records, with 1,068,403 births since 1880. Over the past decade it accounts for 65,226.
Is Jonathan a unisex name?
No. Jonathan is recorded almost entirely as a boys' name; births to the other gender are too few to register as a share.
When was Jonathan most popular?
1988, when 30,366 children were given the name. It has been in use for 145 years and is still recorded as of 2024.
How else is Jonathan spelled?
Johnathan, Jonathon, Johnathon, Jonathen, Johnathen, Jonnathan, Jonothan, Jonathyn, Jonnathon. All of these sound the same and are counted together in the totals on this page.