Jonah
Jonah was given to 2,828 boys in 2025, #128 among boys’ names; 86,075 Americans have been recorded with it since 1880 (Social Security Administration, published May 2026).
An estimated 83,400 Americans named Jonah and born in the U.S. are alive in 2026 (97% of everyone recorded); the median is 15 years old and half are between 8 and 24.
Girls and boys together; gaps are years SSA did not record (fewer than 5 births).
Births of Jonah by year: SSA national baby-name file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
What does Jonah mean?
Wiktionary, English section
Jonah is “a male given name from Hebrew.” Its etymology gives the sense “dove” (יוֹנָה).
From the Hebrew יוֹנָה (yônâh, “dove”). Doublet of Jonas.
/ˈd͡ʒoʊnə/
Meaning: Wiktionary, English section, as of Sep 25, 2026 (CC BY‑SA 4.0).
How popular is Jonah?
#128 among boys’ names, 2025
Jonah rose from #143 in 2015 to #128 in 2025 among boys’ names; its share of boys born rose from 1.5 to 1.7 per 1,000.
2,998 babies in 2008, the peak
Jonah peaked in 2008, when 2,998 babies were given it (2,981 boys, #136 among boys’ names). The 2,867 births of 2025 (girls and boys) are 96% of that peak.
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,828 | #128 | 1.7 |
| 2024 | 2,893 | #126 | 1.7 |
| 2023 | 2,900 | #124 | 1.7 |
| 2022 | 2,754 | #135 | 1.6 |
| 2021 | 2,739 | #138 | 1.6 |
| 2020 | 2,821 | #128 | 1.6 |
| 2019 | 2,693 | #139 | 1.5 |
| 2018 | 2,725 | #145 | 1.5 |
| 2017 | 2,524 | #154 | 1.4 |
| 2016 | 2,778 | #150 | 1.5 |
Every recorded year (143)
| Year | Births | Rank | Per 1,000 boys |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 2,913 | #143 | 1.5 |
| 2014 | 2,920 | #138 | 1.5 |
| 2013 | 2,903 | #132 | 1.5 |
| 2012 | 2,955 | #128 | 1.6 |
| 2011 | 2,867 | #144 | 1.5 |
| 2010 | 2,775 | #143 | 1.4 |
| 2009 | 2,718 | #147 | 1.4 |
| 2008 | 2,981 | #136 | 1.5 |
| 2007 | 2,510 | #165 | 1.2 |
| 2006 | 2,411 | #170 | 1.2 |
| 2005 | 2,222 | #184 | 1.1 |
| 2004 | 2,296 | #177 | 1.2 |
| 2003 | 2,431 | #164 | 1.2 |
| 2002 | 2,313 | #167 | 1.2 |
| 2001 | 1,982 | #187 | 1.0 |
| 2000 | 1,833 | #192 | 0.93 |
| 1999 | 1,710 | #197 | 0.89 |
| 1998 | 1,465 | #219 | 0.77 |
| 1997 | 1,621 | #196 | 0.86 |
| 1996 | 1,569 | #197 | 0.83 |
| 1995 | 1,371 | #215 | 0.72 |
| 1994 | 1,179 | #245 | 0.61 |
| 1993 | 449 | #469 | 0.23 |
| 1992 | 224 | #692 | 0.11 |
| 1991 | 246 | #647 | 0.12 |
| 1990 | 239 | #652 | 0.12 |
| 1989 | 260 | #610 | 0.13 |
| 1988 | 243 | #603 | 0.13 |
| 1987 | 290 | #529 | 0.16 |
| 1986 | 235 | #580 | 0.13 |
| 1985 | 267 | #531 | 0.14 |
| 1984 | 269 | #521 | 0.15 |
| 1983 | 260 | #518 | 0.15 |
| 1982 | 287 | #501 | 0.16 |
| 1981 | 384 | #425 | 0.21 |
| 1980 | 394 | #412 | 0.22 |
| 1979 | 390 | #403 | 0.23 |
| 1978 | 168 | #647 | 0.10 |
| 1977 | 226 | #557 | 0.14 |
| 1976 | 185 | #597 | 0.12 |
| 1975 | 131 | #723 | 0.08 |
| 1974 | 151 | #656 | 0.10 |
| 1973 | 130 | #705 | 0.08 |
| 1972 | 154 | #640 | 0.09 |
| 1971 | 162 | #647 | 0.09 |
| 1970 | 70 | #963 | 0.04 |
| 1969 | 44 | #1,192 | 0.02 |
| 1968 | 39 | #1,226 | 0.02 |
| 1967 | 30 | #1,396 | 0.02 |
| 1966 | 20 | #1,738 | 0.01 |
| 1965 | 33 | #1,345 | 0.02 |
| 1964 | 31 | #1,418 | 0.02 |
| 1963 | 25 | #1,609 | 0.01 |
| 1962 | 33 | #1,378 | 0.02 |
| 1961 | 21 | #1,798 | 0.01 |
| 1960 | 28 | #1,540 | 0.01 |
| 1959 | 22 | #1,742 | 0.01 |
| 1958 | 25 | #1,569 | 0.01 |
| 1957 | 28 | #1,499 | 0.01 |
| 1956 | 32 | #1,368 | 0.02 |
| 1955 | 43 | #1,143 | 0.02 |
| 1954 | 20 | #1,730 | 0.01 |
| 1953 | 32 | #1,345 | 0.02 |
| 1952 | 38 | #1,203 | 0.02 |
| 1951 | 36 | #1,230 | 0.02 |
| 1950 | 22 | #1,588 | 0.01 |
| 1949 | 17 | #1,852 | 0.01 |
| 1948 | 26 | #1,443 | 0.01 |
| 1947 | 19 | #1,756 | 0.01 |
| 1946 | 26 | #1,394 | 0.02 |
| 1945 | 30 | #1,212 | 0.02 |
| 1944 | 20 | #1,553 | 0.01 |
| 1943 | 31 | #1,250 | 0.02 |
| 1942 | 25 | #1,399 | 0.02 |
| 1941 | 26 | #1,318 | 0.02 |
| 1940 | 29 | #1,266 | 0.03 |
| 1939 | 31 | #1,180 | 0.03 |
| 1938 | 18 | #1,652 | 0.02 |
| 1937 | 24 | #1,390 | 0.02 |
| 1936 | 33 | #1,153 | 0.03 |
| 1935 | 27 | #1,311 | 0.03 |
| 1934 | 36 | #1,109 | 0.03 |
| 1933 | 24 | #1,384 | 0.02 |
| 1932 | 23 | #1,491 | 0.02 |
| 1931 | 17 | #1,806 | 0.02 |
| 1930 | 19 | #1,729 | 0.02 |
| 1929 | 27 | #1,399 | 0.03 |
| 1928 | 30 | #1,341 | 0.03 |
| 1927 | 29 | #1,392 | 0.03 |
| 1926 | 21 | #1,685 | 0.02 |
| 1925 | 33 | #1,270 | 0.03 |
| 1924 | 33 | #1,279 | 0.03 |
| 1923 | 32 | #1,289 | 0.03 |
| 1922 | 44 | #1,066 | 0.04 |
| 1921 | 33 | #1,284 | 0.03 |
| 1920 | 47 | #1,012 | 0.04 |
| 1919 | 25 | #1,466 | 0.03 |
| 1918 | 31 | #1,272 | 0.03 |
| 1917 | 25 | #1,417 | 0.03 |
| 1916 | 32 | #1,167 | 0.04 |
| 1915 | 33 | #1,136 | 0.04 |
| 1914 | 19 | #1,420 | 0.03 |
| 1913 | 18 | #1,228 | 0.04 |
| 1912 | 15 | #1,246 | 0.03 |
| 1911 | 18 | #776 | 0.08 |
| 1910 | 6 | #1,508 | 0.03 |
| 1909 | 5 | #1,581 | 0.03 |
| 1908 | 17 | #645 | 0.11 |
| 1907 | 10 | #904 | 0.07 |
| 1906 | 5 | #1,333 | 0.04 |
| 1905 | 7 | #1,033 | 0.05 |
| 1904 | 5 | #1,301 | 0.04 |
| 1903 | 5 | #1,211 | 0.04 |
| 1902 | 6 | #1,081 | 0.05 |
| 1900 | 11 | #816 | 0.07 |
| 1899 | 7 | #903 | 0.07 |
| 1898 | 8 | #847 | 0.07 |
| 1897 | 6 | #1,010 | 0.05 |
| 1896 | 5 | #1,179 | 0.04 |
| 1895 | 7 | #934 | 0.06 |
| 1893 | 7 | #872 | 0.06 |
| 1892 | 8 | #831 | 0.07 |
| 1891 | 8 | #734 | 0.08 |
| 1890 | 9 | #705 | 0.08 |
| 1889 | 7 | #846 | 0.06 |
| 1888 | 6 | #984 | 0.05 |
| 1887 | 11 | #567 | 0.11 |
| 1885 | 16 | #469 | 0.15 |
| 1884 | 11 | #588 | 0.10 |
| 1883 | 10 | #618 | 0.10 |
| 1882 | 5 | #1,016 | 0.04 |
| 1881 | 5 | #943 | 0.05 |
| 1880 | 8 | #714 | 0.07 |
Ranks and shares: boys’ names in each year’s SSA file; share of all boys SSA recorded that year.
Is Jonah a boy’s or a girl’s name?
Jonah has been given almost only to boys: 792 girls in 143 years of records.
Girls and boys named Jonah: the SSA national file counts each sex separately.
How many people are named Jonah, and how old are they?
83,400 alive in 2026, estimated
That is 97% of the 86,075 Americans ever recorded as Jonah. The median Jonah alive today is 15 years old; half are between 8 and 24.
The 2020 Census counted 63,551 people named Jonah (784 women and girls, 62,767 men and boys). SSA’s births carried forward to Census day, April 1, 2020, predict 67,605 born in the U.S. The Census count is 6% below that prediction.
Alive today, by age
Alive today, by generation
| Generation | Born | Alive |
|---|---|---|
| Silent Generation | 1928-1945 | 93 |
| Baby Boomers | 1946-1964 | 352 |
| Generation X | 1965-1980 | 2,130 |
| Millennials | 1981-1996 | 7,550 |
| Generation Z | 1997-2012 | 36,800 |
| Generation Alpha | 2013-2025 | 36,500 |
An estimate, not a count. SSA’s files count people born in the United States who received a Social Security number, so anyone born abroad is not in them; before 1937 most people got a number as adults, and their survival is counted from that age.
Living estimate: SSA births carried forward with the survival rates in SSA’s cohort life tables (2024 Trustees Report) for each birth year and sex. How the estimate is made. Count: Census Bureau, first names in the 2020 Census (released April 14, 2026; names reported 100 or more times, with the Bureau’s disclosure-avoidance adjustment).
Where are babies named Jonah born?
The states with the most babies named Jonah are Texas, California and Florida, with 27% of its births recorded by state in 2025.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank, boys | vs. national |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 317 | #125 | 0.8× |
| California | 267 | #143 | 0.8× |
| Florida | 186 | #116 | 0.9× |
| New York | 171 | #102 | 0.9× |
| Ohio | 133 | #94 | 1.0× |
| Pennsylvania | 108 | #118 | 0.9× |
| Illinois | 89 | #129 | 0.8× |
| Georgia | 89 | #135 | 0.9× |
| North Carolina | 88 | #146 | 1.0× |
| Michigan | 88 | #111 | 1.0× |
Where Jonah is more common than its national share predicts
Relative to its national share, Jonah is most over-represented in Hawaii: since 1910 it was given 3.0 times as often there as its national share each year would predict.
States: SSA state file, 1910-2025, published May 8, 2026; births count girls and boys together, and the rank is among boys’ names in the state in 2025. The file leaves out any state and year with fewer than 5 babies of the name, so small states are undercounted; each ratio compares the state’s births of Jonah with the births its national share predicts year by year, for states with at least 100 births of the name.
Names spelled alike
Of these 4 names spelled alike, given to 89,944 babies since 1880, Jonah is the most given (96% of them). In 2025 it was given to 2,867 of their 2,908 babies (99%), again the most given.
Spelled alike: names in the SSA national file with the same pattern of letters and sounds and at most two letters apart, and Wiktionary’s listed forms; births since 1880 and in 2025, and each name’s peak year, from the SSA national file, published May 8, 2026. Some are separate names, not spellings of one.
Names that rose and fell in the same decades as Jonah
Names whose births rose and fell across the same decades, measured on each decade’s share of births.
Similar histories: each decade’s share of births, from the SSA national file, 1880-2025, published May 8, 2026. SSA’s notes on the data.
More about Jonah and names like it
- Compare Jonah and JonnyBirths, ranks, peak and the living estimate side by side.
- The most given names of the 2000sJonah peaked in 2008.
- California’s most given namesThe state where SSA recorded the most babies named Jonah since 1910.
- Hebrew namesWiktionary’s origin for Jonah: every such name, by how often it is given.
- The top names of 2008The year the most babies were named Jonah.
- The names of Generation ZMost people named Jonah alive today were born 1997-2012.
- Names starting with JMost given first.