Boys' name · since 1976
Onathan
Since 1976, U.S. Social Security records show 47 babies named Onathan, peaking in 1988. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #22,637 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 47
- born since 1976
- 1980s
- peak decade
47 boys have been named Onathan since 1976, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Onathan has been recorded 47 times among boys since 1976, though it is not among the currently most-used boys names, with its heaviest use in the 1980s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1976 to 1989.
- #22,637 of 45,481 all-time among boys
- 47 born since 1976
- 1980s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Onathan ranks #22,637 of 45,481 boys' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 47 born since 1976, peaking in the 1980s.
- #22,637 of 45,481
- all-time among boys
- 47
- born since 1976
- 1980s
- peak decade
Onathan's 47 recorded births place it above 50.12% of the 45,481 boys names in the full SSA archive.
No state rows cleared SSA’s public reporting threshold for this name.
Onathan's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Onathan splits its recorded history at 1987: 64% of all births land in the more recent half, 36% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1976 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1988 peak of 12 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Onathan popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1976–1989
- Peak year (1988)
- 12
- Annual births at peak, across 14 years of records
Onathan by decade
1980s is the heaviest window (37 births, 79% of the file).
1980s was Onathan's strongest decade.
37 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 79% of all-time use.
Onathan births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1970s 10
1970s
10 births
- 1980s
1980s
37 births
What this shows Peak: 1980s at 37 births (79% of all-time use).
Frequently Asked Questions
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Keep exploring Onathan
Nearby Names Like Onathan
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Onathan
Compare Onathan side by side: Onathan vs Onaje Onathan vs Ona Onathan vs Onan
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Onathan: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1988)
Similar record span (~13 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 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, 1976–1989 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
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 Onathan 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 August 2026.