How to say it
JON · a · than
ˈdʒɒn.ə.θən
Masculine
Jonathan
Yahweh has given
What it means
Hebrew Yehonatan, 'Yahweh has given.' The biblical Jonathan was King Saul's son and David's closest friend; their relationship is one of the Bible's most-studied bonds.
Jonathan is the English form of the Hebrew Yehonatan (yāhū 'Yahweh' + nāthan 'has given'). In the books of Samuel, Jonathan is the eldest son of King Saul and bound to David in a covenant of friendship that survives Saul's jealousy and Jonathan's death in battle. Their bond is one of the most-quoted passages on friendship in scripture. The English Jonathan stayed steady through the centuries and surged with the biblical-name revival of the 1970s and 1980s. Jon, Johnny, and Jonny all circulate as shorts; Nathan started as a short for Jonathan and is now its own name.
How to spell Jonathan
The standard spelling is Jonathan. Common variants include Yehonatan, Jon, Yonatan, but Jonathan is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #15 in 1988, currently #89 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Jon, Johnny, and Jonny all circulate. Nathan started as a short for Jonathan and is now a separate name on its own.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Jonathan (Bible) King Saul's son and David's closest friend; their covenant is one of scripture's central friendships
- Jonathan Swift Anglo-Irish satirist, Gulliver's Travels and A Modest Proposal
- Jonathan Franzen American novelist, The Corrections and Freedom
Spelling variants
- Yehonatan
- Jon
- Yonatan
Names with the same feeling
See Jonathan from another angle
By meaning
By style
Common questions
- What does the name Jonathan mean?
- Hebrew Yehonatan, 'Yahweh has given.' The biblical Jonathan was King Saul's son and David's closest friend; their relationship is one of the Bible's most-studied bonds.
- What does Jonathan mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, Jonathan means "Yahweh has given." Jonathan is the English form of the Hebrew Yehonatan (yāhū 'Yahweh' + nāthan 'has given'). In the books of Samuel, Jonathan is the eldest son of King Saul and bound to David in a covenant of friendship that survives Saul's jealousy and Jonathan's death in battle. Their bond is one of the most-quoted passages on friendship in scripture. The English Jonathan stayed steady through the centuries and surged with the biblical-name revival of the 1970s and 1980s. Jon, Johnny, and Jonny all circulate as shorts; Nathan started as a short for Jonathan and is now its own name.
- How do you pronounce Jonathan?
- Jonathan is pronounced ˈdʒɒn.ə.θən. Say it as JON-a-than, with the stress on the "jon" syllable.
- How do you spell Jonathan?
- The standard spelling is Jonathan. Common spelling variants include Yehonatan, Jon, Yonatan.
- Is Jonathan a boy or girl name?
- Jonathan is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name Jonathan?
- Jonathan ranked #89 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.