Jonah
First Name Meaning, Usage, Popularity & Related Names
Jonah is a Hebrew name meaning “dove”. It is a popular name, overwhelmingly used for boys, with 99.9% male usage.
Meaning & Origin of the name Jonah
Jonah is a name of Hebrew origin, traditionally interpreted as meaning dove. The name is famously associated with the biblical Book of Jonah, which recounts the story of a prophet swallowed by a great fish after attempting to flee his divine mission. This narrative holds significant cultural weight in the Hebrew Bible and appears as the 10th sura in the Qur'an.
Meaning Comments
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Gender Usage of the Name Jonah
Overall Gender Classification Methodology
Jonah is overwhelmingly used as a name for boys. Approximately 99.9% of recorded bearers are male. This classification is supported by extensive records and is considered highly reliable.
Popularity of the Name Jonah
Jonah is among the Top 73 Trending Boys’ name in the United Kingdom for 2026
Note: Green bars show popularity (% of births); the violet line shows historical ranking. Data is based on official government birth records. Click any chart to view details by year and region.
Overall PopularityMethodology
Jonah is listed under Popular Boy Names worldwide. Its popularity is relatively consistent across the available regional markets.
| Region | Popularity | Birth Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| United States | Popular | 1 in every 1.1K births |
| United Kingdom | Popular | 1 in every 2.6K births |
| Canada | Popular | 1 in every 2.0K births |
| Australia | Popular | 1 in every 27K births |
Ranking OverviewMethodology
Jonah ranked #162 on the Popular Boys’ Names Worldwide List (2025). It rose from #187 in 2024 — an improvement of 25 places. Jonah maintains a steady presence among commonly used names.
Historically, its best recorded position was #157 in 2002. Its lowest recorded position was #1,937 in 1964. Over recent years the ranking has shown little net change and remained relatively stable around #162.
Name StyleMethodology
Jonah is classified as Classic Boy Names because it appears in 76% of available years and remains active today, averaging 3,305 births per year after a historical peak in 2018.Characteristics of the Name Jonah
Pronunciation & StructureMethodology
- Phonetic Source
- CMU
- Syllables
- 2 syllables — Two-Syllable Boy Names
- Length
- 5 letters — Medium-Length Boy Names
- Starts with
- J — Boy Names Starting with J
- Ends with
- h — Boy Names Ending in “h”
Name AestheticMethodology
Jonah utilizes two syllables with a gentle stress pattern, resulting in a balanced and quiet sound. The name maintains a lasting cultural presence through the Biblical prophet Jonah. This foundational association supports an Elegant & Timeless aesthetic.
Middle Names For Jonah
Middle names used with JonahMethodology
Jonah is most frequently used with these boy middle names: Jonah Michael · Jonah Daniel · Jonah David · Jonah Alexander · Jonah WilliamView all 253 boy middle names.
- Total 435 middle names used with Jonah
- 60 girl middle names used with Jonah
- 117 unisex middle names used with Jonah
Middle name suggestions for JonahMethodology
Based on observed first-middle-name pattern combinations, Jonah is most frequently associated with boy middle names that have 2 syllables, Strong–Weak stress pattern, 6 letters, and a starting sound of “d”.
Examples: Jonah Daniel · Jonah Donald · Jonah Dennis · Jonah Dillon · Jonah Dallas. View all 271 suggested middle names.
Associations of the Name Jonah
Biblical ReferencesMethodology
As one of the Biblical Boy Names, Jonah appears 28 times throughout the Bible. Selected verses include:
- Old Testament - II Kings (2KI 14:25):
He got back the old limits of Israel from the way into Hamath to the sea of the Arabah, as the Lord had said by his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet of Gath-hepher.
- Old Testament - Jonah (JON 1:1):
And the word of the Lord came to Jonah, the son of Amittai, saying,
Natural Name MatchesMethodology
The complete dataset includes 2 biological records matching the name Jonah. None belong to the curated biological families used to classify Flower-, Tree-, or Bird-Inspired Names. These records are provided for reference only.
Names Similar to Jonah
Sound Like Jonah Finder
Names with the exact same overall pronunciation and sound: John · Juan · Johnny · View all 70 names
Spelled Like Jonah Finder
Names with similar spelling patterns and letter sequences: Jonnah · Joenah · Junah · View all 4 names
Same Starting Sound Finder
Names that begin with a similar phonetic sound: James · John · Joseph · View all Top 100 names
Rhymes With Jonah Finder
Names that share similar ending sounds and rhymes: Joshua · Noah · Elijah · View all Top 100 names
Same Rhythm & Syllables Finder
Names with matching syllable stress and pronunciation rhythm: Robert · Michael · William · View all Top 100 names
Dictionary & Etymology of “Jonah”
Dictionary Meaning of "Jonah"Methodology
A male given name from Hebrew
Examples
- 'It's Jonah,' Ted says. Simmy considers this. 'As in the whale?' 'Yep.' 'You know,' Simmy says, 'that people are going to say that to him for ever more?' 'What? The whale thing?' 'Yes.' Ted shrugs again. 'Well. He'll get used to it. All names have got some associations. Anyway, he looks like a Jonah. And I like the name Jonah—' 'Obviously,' Simmy cuts in, 'since you chose it.'
A minor prophet who was cast into the sea and swallowed by a great fish
Examples
- So they took up Jonah, and cast him forth into the sea: and the sea ceased from her raging.
A book of the Old Testament and the Hebrew Tanakh
The 10th sura (chapter) of the Qur'an
Translations
The name Jonah has 226 translations, for example: in Spanish it is rendered as given name, in French it is rendered as Biblical: a book of the Old Testament, etc..
More Info
How to Spell Jonah in ASL
- J
- o
- n
- a
- h
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