Boy
Hebrew
3 syllables
Jonathan
JON-ah-thun
/ˈdʒɒn.ə.θən/
"God has given" — a loyal friend's name that has endured three thousand years
Jonathan comes from the Hebrew Yonatan meaning God has given, combining Yah (God) and natan (gave). In the Hebrew Bible, Jonathan was the beloved son of King Saul and the closest friend of David. Their friendship is one of the most celebrated in all of scripture — Jonathan's loyalty to David even against his own father's wishes has made the name synonymous with loyal friendship. Jonathan has been consistently popular in the US for decades.
Quick Facts
Letters8
SyllablesJon · a · than
GenderBoy
OriginHebrew
Root WordYonatan
MeaningGod has given
PopularityPopular
Peak Year1988
Trend
→ Stable
Name DayMarch 1
Nicknames
JonJohnnyNathanJonah
About the Name Jonathan
Jonathan means God has given in Hebrew, from Yonatan. It combines Yah (God's name) and natan (gave), sharing the natan root with the name Nathan.
Jonathan has been in the US top 100 for decades and remains popular. It peaked in the late 1980s and has declined gently but is still widely used as a timeless biblical name.
Jonathan was King Saul's eldest son and David's closest friend. Their bond was so strong that Jonathan protected David even against his own father's jealousy, making their friendship a model of loyalty.
Jon, Johnny, and Nathan are the most common nicknames. Some Jonathans also go by Jonah or simply J.
Jonathan James, Jonathan Michael, Jonathan Thomas, and Jonathan David are all strong and naturally flowing combinations.
Jonathans are often described as loyal, thoughtful, and principled — entirely fitting for a name synonymous with one of history's greatest acts of friendship.
Personality of Jonathan
Perceived character traits commonly associated with people named Jonathan
Creativity
74%
Elegance
80%
Independence
78%
Intelligence
84%
Strength
78%
Warmth
84%
Famous People Named Jonathan
J
Jonathan and David (biblical)
One of the Bible's most celebrated friendships; Jonathan's loyalty to David
J
Jonathan Swift
Anglo-Irish satirist, Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal
J
Jonathan Franzen
American novelist, The Corrections and Freedom
Middle Names for Jonathan
Beautiful combinations that flow well with Jonathan
Jonathan James
Jonathan Michael
Jonathan Thomas
Jonathan David
Jonathan Lee
Jonathan Andrew
Jonathan William
Jonathan Paul
Jonathan Grey
Jonathan Cole
Names Similar to Jonathan
Similar Sound
Similar Meaning
Sibling Name Ideas
History of Jonathan
1000 BC
Jonathan, son of Saul, forms a legendary friendship with David in the Hebrew Bible
1667
Jonathan Swift born in Dublin; his satire defines an era
1988
Jonathan reaches peak US popularity at rank 22
2000
Jonathan remains in the top 100 as a timeless biblical classic
Numerology & Symbolism of Jonathan
2
Destiny Number
Sum of all letters
8
Soul Urge
Sum of vowels
♍
Zodiac Affinity
Capricorn
6
Lucky Number
Personal power digit
🎨
Lucky Color
Forest Green
💎
Lucky Stone
Emerald
🌸
Lucky Flower
Lily of the Valley
Jonathan Around the World
How Jonathan is written in different languages and scripts
جوناثان
Arabic
ジョナサン
Japanese
Джонатан
Russian
조나단
Korean
乔纳森
Chinese
Ιωνάθαν
Greek
जोनाथन
Hindi
יוֹנָתָן
Hebrew
Looking for Name Ideas?
Explore our name inspiration guides