Nameling

Jonah

Gender
Boy
Say it
JOH-na
Origin
Hebrew
UK rank, 2025
#133 for boys
US rank, 2025
#128 for boys

Big in Northern Ireland

Jonah is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “dove”. In 2025 it ranked 133rd for boys in the UK (432 babies) and 128th for boys in the US (2,828 babies).

What does Jonah mean?

Hebrew

“dove”

In the Bible, Jonah is swallowed by a great fish after fleeing God's command to preach to Nineveh.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Jonah a girl's or a boy's name?

Jonah is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 432 boys in the UK and 39 girls and 2,828 boys in the US.

How popular is Jonah in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#133among boys
Babies in 2025
432about 1 in 690 boys
Five-year trend
Steadydown 1% in five years
Same name in a class
2%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 432 boys in the UK were named Jonah, making it the 133rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 143rd. Its busiest year was 2022, with 528 boys.

Half of all the boys named Jonah in the UK since 1996 were born between 2010 and 2021, the years shaded on the chart below.

Among boys in 2025, it was 147th in England and Wales, 137th in Scotland and 64th in Northern Ireland.

1996Busiest: 528 in 20222025
Jonah in the UK, year by year
YearBoysRank
2025432#133
2024432#140
2023483#123
2022528#121
2021523#128
2020444#143
2019464#141
2018448#146
2017430#156
2016440#153
2015440#152
2014427#153
2013371#173
2012361#187
2011385#168
2010262#219
2009250#217
2008207#245
2007183#252
2006167#249
2005130#286
2004131#285
2003145#246
2002129#256
2001118#269
2000136#235
199994#324
199893#308
199792#316
199682#325

How popular is Jonah in the US?

Rank in 2025
#128among boys
Babies in 2025
2,828about 1 in 600 boys
Five-year trend
Steadyup 5% in five years
Same name in a class
2.3%chance among 15 boys

In 2025, 2,828 boys in the US were named Jonah, making it the 128th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 128th. Its busiest year was 2008, with 2,981 boys. 39 girls were also named Jonah in 2025 (3,779th for girls).

Half of all the boys named Jonah in the US since 1880 were born between 2002 and 2018, the years shaded on the chart below.

1880Busiest: 2,981 in 20082025
Jonah in the US, year by year
YearBoysRank
20252,828#128
20242,893#126
20232,900#124
20222,754#135
20212,739#138
20202,821#128
20192,693#139
20182,725#145
20172,524#154
20162,778#150
20152,913#143
20142,920#138
20132,903#132
20122,955#128
20112,867#144
20102,775#143
20092,718#147
20082,981#136
20072,510#165
20062,411#170
20052,222#184
20042,296#177
20032,431#164
20022,313#167
20011,982#187
20001,833#192
19991,710#197
19981,465#219
19971,621#196
19961,569#197
19951,371#215
19941,179#245
1993449#469
1992224#690
1991246#647
1990239#650
1989260#610
1988243#603
1987290#528
1986235#580
1985267#531
1984269#520
1983260#518
1982287#501
1981384#424
1980394#412
1979390#403
1978168#647
1977226#556
1976185#596
1975131#723
1974151#655
1973130#704
1972154#639
1971162#645
197070#959
196944#1,186
196839#1,217
196730#1,387
196620#1,722
196533#1,334
196431#1,407
196325#1,584
196233#1,366
196121#1,777
196028#1,522
195922#1,708
195825#1,556
195728#1,486
195632#1,361
195543#1,137
195420#1,705
195332#1,330
195238#1,194
195136#1,217
195022#1,571
194917#1,819
194826#1,429
194719#1,732
194626#1,381
194530#1,203
194420#1,524
194331#1,240
194225#1,381
194126#1,300
194029#1,251
193931#1,168
193818#1,613
193724#1,372
193633#1,142
193527#1,295
193436#1,092
193324#1,361
193223#1,465
193117#1,770
193019#1,693
192927#1,378
192830#1,323
192729#1,372
192621#1,661
192533#1,246
192433#1,263
192332#1,275
192244#1,058
192133#1,267
192047#1,004
191925#1,448
191831#1,256
191725#1,396
191632#1,157
191533#1,124
191419#1,388
191318#1,205
191215#1,223
191118#758
19106#1,420
19095#1,439
190817#632
190710#865
19065#1,252
19057#1,001
19045#1,204
19035#1,129
19026#1,012
19010–
190011#784
18997#856
18988#803
18976#941
18965#1,100
18957#871
18940–
18937#836
18928#791
18918#699
18909#667
18897#789
18886#917
188711#544
18860–
188516#462
188411#570
188310#597
18825#942
18815#865
18808#682

Names like Jonah

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Elijah Noah Caleb Eli Tobias Levi Asher Isaiah Hunter Micah Elias Axel

Other spellings of Jonah

Jona

Names related to Jonah

Jon Johann Jonan Joan Janoah Junah

More Hebrew names

Isabella James Jack Mia Ava Jude Ezra Benjamin Isaac Jacob Ethan Daniel Samuel Mateo Elsie Eliana

Every Hebrew name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Jonah: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/jonah, updated 20 October 2026.