boy's name
Johnathan
JON-uh-thun
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 9
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 103,661
the United States
#509
2025 births
Johnathan is a misspelling that became a name — it inserts an h into Jonathan by confusion with John, and the two are different Hebrew names that only look related. Its strongest market is the United States, at 509th.
- Johnathan is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1990, when 3,253 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 5,581 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1881.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Johnathan over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 11 |
| 1910s | 51 |
| 1920s | 93 |
| 1930s | 97 |
| 1940s | 215 |
| 1950s | 792 |
| 1960s | 2,438 |
| 1970s | 7,884 |
| 1980s | 22,072 |
| 1990s | 27,334 |
| 2000s | 21,965 |
| 2010s | 11,804 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 3,855 |
What Johnathan means
Johnathan means God has given, carried from Jonathan. The Hebrew joins the divine name to a verb meaning to give, and it is not the same name as John.
Where Johnathan comes from
Johnathan is a respelling of Jonathan under the influence of John, and the confusion is understandable but wrong: Jonathan is the Hebrew Yehonatan, God has given, while John is Yochanan, God is gracious. They share the divine element and nothing else. Jonathan is David's friend in the Book of Samuel, and their bond is one of the most discussed relationships in the Hebrew Bible. The intrusive h has been common enough for long enough that it now registers as a name in its own right.
Johnathan in use
Johnathan peaked in the United States in 1990, when 3,253 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in three of the seven markets we track — 509th in the United States on 594 births, 651st in Canada and 2080th in England and Wales on 12 — across 103,661 lifetime births. Our records carry it from 1880.
How popular is Johnathan?
In 2025, Johnathan was given to 594 babies in the United States, ranking #509 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Johnathan is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Johnathan
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Johnathan also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Johnathan over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Johnathan
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Johnathan in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Johnathan
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Johnathan — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Johnathan
What does the name Johnathan mean?
God has given, carried from Jonathan.
Are John and Jonathan the same name?
No. Jonathan means God has given; John means God is gracious. They share only the divine element.
Is Johnathan a misspelling?
It began as one, inserting an h by confusion with John — and it is now common enough to be a name in its own right.
How popular is Johnathan?
509th in the United States, down from a 1990 peak of 3,253 births.
Is Johnathan a girl's or a boy's name?
Johnathan is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Johnathan?
Johnathan has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Johnathan?
Johnathan is usually shortened to Jon and Johnny.
Is Johnathan a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Johnathan currently ranks #509 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.