Jonathan is a masculine given name of Hebrew origin. It is derived from the Hebrew name Yehonathan, which is composed of two elements: "Yeho" meaning "Yahweh (God)" and "nathan" meaning "to give". Therefore, Jonathan can be translated as "Given by God".
The name Jonathan appears in the Old Testament of the Bible. He was the son of King Saul and the brother of David. Despite his father's initial jealousy towards David, Jonathan maintained a close friendship with him throughout their lives.
The name Jonathan gained popularity in Europe during the Middle Ages through religious texts and stories about biblical figures. Since then, it has been used widely around the world and is now among the top 500 most popular boys' names in various countries such as England, Wales, Scotland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, Turkey, Egypt, South Africa, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Japan, Korea, China, and even in some African countries.
Today, Jonathan is a classic yet timeless name that continues to be given to newborn boys by parents who appreciate its biblical origins and strong meaning. It also has many popular nicknames such as Jonny, Johnny, Jon, Nate, and Nano which make it even more versatile and appealing. Overall, Jonathan is an elegant and meaningful choice for a boy's name with a rich history dating back thousands of years.
Between 1984 and 2013, the name Jonathan was given to a total of 101 newborn boys in the United States. The number of babies named Jonathan varied from year to year, with some years seeing more than ten births and others fewer than five.
The highest numbers of Jonathan births occurred in 1998 and 2007, with nine and eight births respectively. These years were followed by 2001 and 2003, which also had eight and seven births each. The years with the fewest Jonathan births were 1984, 1989, 1991, 1994, and 2013, each with only five births.
Overall, the name Jonathan was a popular choice for parents in the United States during this period, with an average of about eight babies being named Jonathan each year. Despite some fluctuations in popularity over time, Jonathan remained a consistently chosen name for newborn boys throughout these two decades.