Given name & surname
Jonas
“dove”
Jonas is a variant of Jonah. One Hebrew interpretation is “dove.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Jonas is a variant of Jonah. One Hebrew interpretation is “dove.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Jonas is a variant of Jonah. An origin associated with Jonah is Hebrew.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In Swedish usage, Jonas is a short form of Johannes. In Norwegian Bokmål usage, Jonas developed from Ἰωνᾶς.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Jonas is a variant of Jonah. The history of Jonah gives this family its wider story. In biblical tradition, Jonah is the name of a prophet.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Jonas through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 28,588
- 28,560 boys · 28 girls
- Most popular year
- 2008
- 1,256 babies
- 2025
- 476
- #599 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −24%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 476 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 599 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 23.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 1,256 in 2008. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (49). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 23,952 as a first name in 2020; 8,864 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.
Jonas’s family of names
In German usage, Jonas has a short form in Jon. In English usage, Jonas shares an earlier linguistic root with Jonah. In Lithuanian usage, Jonas has a conventional equivalent in the Spanish form Juan.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jonas has relatives in 44 languages.
44 related names in 44 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 10
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Jonahvariant · English, Scots
- Jonshort form · German
- Johannesvariant · German, Swedish
- Jonavariant · German, Norwegian Bokmål
- Jontediminutive · Swedish
- Jonnaslikely variant
- Jonasslikely variant
- Ivanasvariant · Lithuanian
Show 2 moreShow fewer
Across languages 43
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
- Johnequivalent
- JuanSpanish
- JeanFrench
- Yunusequivalent
- IonaRomanian, Hawaiian
- JanPolish, Czech
- YonaSwahili, Breton
- GionaItalian
Show 35 moreShow fewer
- യോനാequivalent
- Жунусequivalent
- Жүнісequivalent
- Jonuzequivalent
- Jônasequivalent
- Jonassen“son of” surname · Norwegian Bokmål
- Jonasen“son of” surname · Norwegian Bokmål
- Jonasson“son of” surname · Norwegian Bokmål
- ジョンJapanese
- Juunaborrowing · Greenlandic
- JonásSpanish
- Younousdoublet · French
- JonášCzech, Slovak
- ЙонаUkrainian
- ионаRussian
- JonaszPolish
- 約拿cdo
- HonaMāori
- ĠonaMaltese
- IonasLatin, io
- ヨナJapanese
- Jónascognate · Icelandic, Faroese
- JónásHungarian
- Ἰωνᾶςroot · Ancient Greek
- ΙωνάςGreek
- იონაGeorgian
- IónaIrish
- IonahScottish Gaelic
- JoonaFinnish, Estonian
- GhjonassuCorsican
- ՀովնանArmenian
- Ioannessource · Latin
- ДжонасRussian
- يونسArabic
- ΊώναςAncient Greek
People named Jonas
- BasshunterSwedish singer, record producer, and DJborn 1984
- Jonas SalkJewish-American inventor of polio vaccine (1914–1995)
- Jonas Gahr StørePrime Minister of Norway since 2021born 1960
- Jonas SavimbiAngolan political and military leader (1934-2002)
- Jonas HectorGerman association football playerborn 1990
- Jonas VingegaardDanish cyclist (born 1996)
- Jonas HofmannGerman association football player (born 1992)
- Jonas LieNorwegian novelist (1833–1908)
- Jonas BasanavičiusLithuanian activist (1851-1927)
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jonas, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Josue
“God . is salvation” · “God is salvation”
>99% boys
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“twin”
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Jesus
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Aron
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Moises
Moises is a masculine given name from Portuguese, ultimately from Spanish. It is used in English, Tagalog, Cebuano, and Latin.
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Uriel
“the angel of light”
98% boys · 2% girls
Javan
“mire” · “mud man”
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Adan
“man” · “of the earth”
99% boys · 1% girls