Given name & surname
Jon
“God has given”·“a gift of God”·“God is gracious”
In English use, Jon is a diminutive of Jonathan. Interpretations include “God has given” and “a gift of God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions. Jon has a related form in Joan. In Hebrew use, Joan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
In English use, Jon is a diminutive of Jonathan. Interpretations include “God has given” and “a gift of God” (Hebrew). These may reflect different naming traditions. Jon has a related form in Joan. In Hebrew use, Joan carries the interpretation “God is gracious.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Jon is a diminutive of Jonathan. An origin associated with Jonathan is Hebrew. In Swedish use, Jon shares an earlier linguistic root with John. John comes from Hebrew Johanan through the Greek Iōannēs and Latin Johannes. John’s many language forms include Jean, Giovanni, Juan, Johann and Ivan.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Swedish use, Jon is used as a form of JoHn. In Swedish use, Jon shares an earlier linguistic root with John. The shared background comes through John: Greek Iōannēs represents a contracted form of Johanan; Latin used Johannes, and English developed John. The different language forms preserve the name family without all sharing the same spelling or pronunciation.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1898. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In Swedish use, Jon shares an earlier linguistic root with John. The history of John gives this family its wider story. John the Baptist is associated with baptism in the River Jordan, while John the Apostle is the fisherman and brother of James. Later saints, popes and rulers extended the name’s reach. Christian tradition also identifies the apostle with John the Evangelist, although that identification is debated.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Jon through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 169,391
- 168,142 boys · 1,249 girls
- Most popular year
- 1964
- 4,941 babies
- 2025
- 246
- #951 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −18%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 246 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 951 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 18.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 4,911 in 1964. In 2025, Texas had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (26). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 161,311 as a first name in 2020; 802 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jon’s family of names
In English usage, Jon is a diminutive of Jonathan. Jon shares a linguistic root with John. In Basque usage, Jon has a conventional equivalent in the French form Jean.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jon has relatives in 21 languages.
26 related names in 21 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 9
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Johnvariant · Tagalog, Norwegian Bokmål
- Jonathanfull form · English, German
- Jonasfull form · German, übersetzungen umleiten
- Joanvariant · Basque, Norwegian Nynorsk
- Johannesvariant · Middle English, English
- Jonnyvariant · German
- Jianvariant · frp
- Jonnvariant · Norwegian Bokmål
Show 1 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 67
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Jackequivalent
- Ianequivalent
- Giovanniequivalent
- Evanequivalent
- Juanequivalent
- Ivanequivalent
- Gianniequivalent
- Johnnyequivalent
Show 52 moreShow fewer
- Seanequivalent
- Johandoublet · Norwegian Nynorsk, Norwegian Bokmål
- Jeanalso known as · French, Swedish
- Gianequivalent
- Hansdoublet · Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk
- Joniderivative · Finnish
- Joaoequivalent
- Giannisequivalent
- Johannequivalent
- Jandoublet · Polish, German
- Yannisequivalent
- Ioannisequivalent
- Yanniequivalent
- Yiannisequivalent
- Jensdoublet · Norwegian Nynorsk, Norwegian Bokmål
- Yannequivalent
- Ivoequivalent
- Yvanequivalent
- Giovanequivalent
- Jehanequivalent
- Ioanequivalent
- Jaanequivalent
- Hannesequivalent
- Hannsequivalent
- Iwanequivalent
- Jonnederivative · Finnish
- Ieuanequivalent
- Ivanoequivalent
- Іванequivalent
- Siônequivalent
- Ioannequivalent
- Giuànequivalent
- Иванequivalent
- Seánequivalent
- Iwoequivalent
- Янкаequivalent
- Johannèsequivalent
- Honzaequivalent
- Jóhannesequivalent
- Jankaequivalent
- Jógvanequivalent
- Иоаннequivalent
- Ivánequivalent
- Jonsen“son of” surname · English
- Yankaequivalent
- Jóhannequivalent
- Jánosequivalent
- Ioannesequivalent
- Ifanequivalent
- Jóhanequivalent
- Joãoequivalent
- Erwannequivalent
And 7 more.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Jon
- Jon VoightAmerican actor (born 1938)
- Jon Bon JoviAmerican musician (born 1962)
- Jon FosseNorwegian writer, playwright, and translator (born 1959)
- Jon StewartAmerican comedian, writer, producer, activist, and television hostborn 1962
- Jon FavreauAmerican actor and filmmaker (born 1966)
- Jon LordEnglish composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player (1941–2012)
- Jon BernthalAmerican actor (born 1976)
- Jon Andoni GoikoetxeaSpanish association football playerborn 1965
- Jon HammAmerican actor (born 1971)
Characters named Jon: Jon Snow (A Song of Ice and Fire), Jon Arbuckle (fictional Garfield comic strip character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
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If you love Jon, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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