Total births
98,262
Boys' name · since 1881
Johnathan
Johnathan has 98,262 recorded births since 1881 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1990 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #513
- among boys today
- 98,262
- born since 1881
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Johnathan currently ranks #513 among boys' names in America, with 98,262 babies recorded since 1881.
Social Security Administration records show Johnathan recorded 98,262 times among boys since 1881, holding rank #513 nationally today, ahead of 96% of boys, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #513 among boys today
- 98,262 born since 1881
- 1990s peak decade
- 96% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Johnathan is currently the #513 boys' name in America, more common than 96% of boys - 98,262 born since 1881, peaking in the 1990s.
- #513
- among boys today
- 98,262
- born since 1881
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 96%
- more common than other boys
Johnathan vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#513
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 96% of names given to boys today.
1990s
Peak decade
28% of everyone ever named Johnathan was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
3,245 babies were named Johnathan in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Johnathan compares
98,262 Top 2% higher than 98% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Johnathan's all-time total is 268x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Johnathan | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 98,262 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 3,245 | 23 | 22,252 |
Johnathan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Johnathan splits its recorded history at 1969: 97% of all births land in the more recent half, 3% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1881 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1990 peak of 3,245 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Johnathan at a glance
Top 1,000 boys' namePeak year
1990
Current rank
#513
Active since
1881
Johnathan popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 3,245
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Johnathan popularity over time - girls
349 total births recorded since 1969 (Johnathan as girls' name)
Johnathan by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Johnathan's strongest decade.
27,264 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 28% of all-time use.
Johnathan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 11
1880s
11 births
- 1910s 51
1910s
51 births
- 1920s 93
1920s
93 births
- 1930s 97
1930s
97 births
- 1940s 215
1940s
215 births
- 1950s 792
1950s
792 births
- 1960s 2,432
1960s
2,432 births
- 1970s 7,820
1970s
7,820 births
- 1980s
1980s
21,908 births
- 1990s
1990s
27,264 births
- 2000s
2000s
21,920 births
- 2010s
2010s
11,804 births
- 2020s 3,855
2020s
3,855 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 27,264 births (28% of all-time use).
How Johnathan compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Johnathan's total volume
Johnathan vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Johnathan by state
Where Johnathan concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 10,461 | 10.6% |
| #2 | Texas | | 9,494 | 9.7% |
| #3 | Florida | | 5,426 | 5.5% |
| #4 | New York | | 5,302 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Georgia | | 4,064 | 4.1% |
| #6 | North Carolina | | 4,018 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 3,906 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Illinois | | 3,764 | 3.8% |
California share of Johnathan's total US births 10.6%
Even split
10,461 of 98,262 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Johnathan appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Johnathan? ▼
98,262 babies have been named Johnathan since 1881. It currently ranks #513 among boys. The peak year was 1990 with 3,245 births.
When was Johnathan most popular? ▼
Johnathan was most popular in the 1990s decade with 27,264 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Johnathan most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Johnathan are California (10,461 births), Texas (9,494 births), Florida (5,426 births).
How long has the name Johnathan been used? ▼
Records for Johnathan go back to 1881, giving 145 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Johnathan? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include John, Johnny, Johnnie, Johnathon, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Johnathan's data
- Johnathan's decade-level peak was the 1990s (27,264 total births); usage has since declined to 3,855 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Johnathans (10,461 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Johnathan
Nearby Names Like Johnathan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Johnathan
John Boy
#21 5,182,633 births
Johnny Boy
#456 317,918 births
Johnnie Boy
#2313 102,099 births
Johnathon Boy
#2083 25,600 births
Johnie Boy
20,930 births
Compare Johnathan side by side: Johnathan vs John Johnathan vs Johnny Johnathan vs Johnnie
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Johnathan
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Johnathan: #513 Boys' Name - 98,262 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/johnathan. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Johnathan draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.