boy's name
Jonathon
JON-uh-thun
- Origin English
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 8
- Popularity Uncommon
- Births on record 69,685
Northern Ireland
#280
2005 births
Jonathon respells Jonathan, and the original names a gift — Yahweh has given, borne in scripture by the friend whose bond with David the text describes in terms it uses nowhere else. The same root gives Nathan and Nathaniel.
- Jonathon is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 1990, when 2,680 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 27,861 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jonathon over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 31 |
| 1920s | 57 |
| 1930s | 47 |
| 1940s | 344 |
| 1950s | 1,253 |
| 1960s | 2,524 |
| 1970s | 7,217 |
| 1980s | 19,711 |
| 1990s | 21,488 |
| 2000s | 9,583 |
| 2010s | 2,825 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 756 |
What Jonathon means
Jonathon means the Lord has given. The Hebrew joins the divine name to a verb meaning to give, so the name reads as a completed act rather than a wish.
Where Jonathon comes from
Jonathon is an English respelling of Jonathan, from the Hebrew Yehonatan — Yah, the divine name, joined to natan, he gave. The same natan gives Nathan and Nathaniel. Jonathan, son of Saul, is David's friend, and the account of their bond in Samuel uses language the text applies to no other relationship, including David's lament that Jonathan's love surpassed the love of women.
Jonathon in use
Jonathon peaked in the United States in 1990, when 2,680 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It charts in exactly one of the six markets we track, at 1487th in the United States on 119 births, across 69,685 lifetime births. England and Wales ran its own peak in 1996 on 190 births and the respelling has since dropped out of the rankings there entirely.
How popular is Jonathon?
In 2025, Jonathon was given to 119 babies in the United States. It is used consistently but remains uncommon.
Where Jonathon 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 Jonathon
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Jonathon also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jonathon over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Jonathon
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.
Jonathon 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 Jonathon
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Jonathon — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Jonathon
What does the name Jonathon mean?
The Lord has given — the Hebrew Yah joined to natan, he gave.
Is Jonathon or Jonathan correct?
Jonathan is the original; Jonathon is an English respelling.
Is Nathan related?
Yes — both are built on natan, to give.
How popular is Jonathon?
1487th in the United States, and it now charts in only that one market.
Is Jonathon a girl's or a boy's name?
Jonathon is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Jonathon?
Jonathon has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Jonathon?
Jonathon is usually shortened to Jon.
Is Jonathon a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jonathon currently ranks #1,487 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.