Jonathan

Spellings & scripts●

Locally spelled Jonatan in FR France, CR Costa Rica, SV El Salvador and 2 more and יונתן in IL Israel.

Spellings marked ● are how people bearing the name write it in our records; ○ marks a model's transliteration. Click a spelling to open its page.

Meaning & origin●

Attested across 14 languages in the etymology graph.

Languages●

Language is read off each record's context, not declared by the bearer; a share is of all records for this spelling.

Other names spelled this way◐

Jonathan is also recorded as 5 other names, grouped separately because the records behind them do not connect to the one described above.

• French given name866K records spelled Jonathan36 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in France, United States, Spain, Belgium

  Languages: French, Catalan

  Also written Jo-Nathan, Jo'Nathan, Jona'Than, Jôñàthàñ, Jona-Than

• a separate given name261K records spelled Jonathan6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in United States, United Kingdom, India, Canada

  Also written Jon-Athan, Jo-Nathan, Jônathan, Jónathan, Jonathán

• Indonesian given name54K records spelled Jonathan6 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Indonesia, United States, Philippines, Malaysia

  Languages: Indonesian, Malay

  Also written 'Jonathan, Jonathan', Jônâthân

• Polish given name45K records spelled Jonathan91 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Poland, United States, United Kingdom, Czechia

  Languages: Polish, Russian, Czech

  Also written Jonatan, Yonatan, Джонатан, Jhonatan, Johnathan

• Thai given name22K records spelled Jonathan34 spellings in the group

  Most recorded in Laos, Thailand, United States, United Kingdom

  Languages: Thai, Lao

  Also written Jonatan, โจนาธาน, Johathan, โจนาทาน, Jönäthän

93 further groups record this spelling and are not listed here.

Grouping is the name graph's, not a register's: two spellings join a group when the evidence links them, so a group is a claim about the records rather than about the people.

Other recorded senses●

Jonathan is also recorded in 5 other lexicons, as a different name or as an ordinary word. These are senses of the spelling, not of the name above.

• A classic and enduring biblical name, Jonathan means "God has given." It has a rich history and is often associated with loyalty and steadfast friendship, primarily due to the famous friendship between King David and Jonathan, the son of Saul.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• A classic biblical name, Jonathan means "God has given." It has a timeless appeal, associated with strength and faithfulness, and belongs to a priest who participated in the joyous celebration of Jerusalem's restoration.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• Jonathan is a classic biblical name meaning 'gift of God.' It is famously associated with the loyal and courageous son of King Saul, whose deep friendship with David is a celebrated story of devotion.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• The name Jonathan is a classic biblical name of Hebrew origin meaning "God has given." It is associated with loyalty and strength, making it a timeless and popular choice for a boy.

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

• The name is derived from the Hebrew name יְהוֹנָתָן (Yehonatan) or its shortened form יוֹנָתָן (Yonatan), which combines 'Yeho' (a reference to God) and 'natan' (meaning 'to give').

  as a name·Biblical Names Compiled Database

Ordered by how much of this spelling's record each language holds, so a sense from a language the name is barely used in sits last rather than first.

Over time●

US SSA — National Baby Names (1880–present) — 146 years between 1880–2025. One register's own figures, never a sum across registers: two registers counting the same people would double them.

Notable people with this name●

• Jonathan Swiftb. 1667IEAnglo-Irish satirist and essayist (1667–1745)
• Jon Voightb. 1938USnot in their usual nameAmerican actor (born 1938)
• David Grossb. 1941USnot in their usual nameAmerican particle physicist and string theorist
• Jonathan Pryceb. 1947GBWelsh actor (born 1947)
• Jonathan Davisb. 1971USAmerican singer
• Lil Jonb. 1972USnot in their usual nameAmerican rapper and record producer
• Jon Wattsb. 1981USnot in their usual nameAmerican film director, producer and screenwriter
• Jon Moxleyb. 1985USnot in their usual nameAmerican professional wrestler and actor
• Olivier Giroudb. 1986FRnot in their usual nameFrench footballer (born 1986)
• Jon Jonesb. 1987USnot in their usual nameAmerican mixed martial arts fighter

The ten people covered by the most Wikipedia language editions — a proxy for cross-cultural notability, which favours historical and Western figures over equally prominent contemporary ones — shown by birth year. Source: Wikidata (CC0).

Evidence●

Register rows as of the 2026-09-12 data build · 1,816 rows in the corpus for this spelling.

Frequently asked questions

How common is the name Jonathan?

We estimate roughly 1.1 million people bear Jonathan (counting its spellings and scripts) across 11 countries in our records.

In which country does Jonathan have the most bearers?

Jonathan is most frequently recorded in Argentina, where it is most often spelled jonathan.

Where is Jonathan most common?

Measured as a share of residents rather than as a count, Jonathan is densest in Ecuador — about 1 in 211 people — even though Argentina holds more of our records for it.

How common is Jonathan compared with other names?

In Argentina, Jonathan is the 141st most common given name of 517,176 given names recorded there.

Is Jonathan a male or female name?

Jonathan is a male name in our records. Opposite-gender entries fall within the cross-gender noise we measure in the source data, so we don't report them as usage.

What does the name Jonathan mean?

Recorded meaning: Jonathan is a classic biblical name meaning 'Yahweh has given,' associated with loyalty and faith.