boys' name ★ peaked 2008

Jonas

Meaning dove Gender Boy Rank 2025 #599 Trend ↓ Falling 18%

From Latin Iōnās, from Koine Greek Ἰωνᾶς (Iōnâs), from Biblical Hebrew יוֹנָה (yônâh, “dove”).

Rank 2025
#599
among boys · ↓43 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
476
named Jonas · -11% vs 2024
How common
1 in 3,588
boys born in 2025
Peak year
2008
1,256 babies
All-time total
28,588
#699 all-time among boys
First recorded
1880
in Social Security records

Jonas popularity over time

28,588 babies have been named Jonas since 1880, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.190.380.560.7518801900192019401960198020002020BoysGirls
BoysGirls

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Girls Boys Total Per year Change Best rank
1880s – 258 258 26 – #295
1890s – 196 196 20 -24% #354
1900s – 238 238 24 +21% #384
1910s – 634 634 63 +166% #540
1920s – 744 744 74 +17% #641
1930s – 563 563 56 -24% #715
1940s – 569 569 57 +1% #800
1950s – 621 621 62 +9% #857
1960s – 760 760 76 +22% #674
1970s 7 1,868 1,875 188 +147% #530
1980s 16 2,373 2,389 239 +27% #455
1990s – 2,717 2,717 272 +14% #496
2000s 5 7,275 7,280 728 +168% #274
2010s – 6,467 6,467 647 -11% #388
2020s (to 2025) – 3,277 3,277 546 -16% #486

Where Jonas is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 460 0.27 outside top 500
2027 446 0.26 outside top 500
2028 435 0.25 outside top 500
2029 426 0.25 outside top 500
2030 418 0.24 outside top 500

Where Jonas is most popular

Boys named Jonas per 1,000 boys born in each state, 2021–2025. National average: 0.309 per 1,000. Strongest in Utah, Pennsylvania, and Missouri.

Vs national average
well below below near national above well above no data

All 50 states and DC, sorted by rate. Counts are boys named Jonas born 2021–2025; the per-1,000 rate makes states of different sizes comparable, and the last column shows each state against the national average.

State Boys 2021–2025 Per 1,000 vs national
Utah 65 0.681 +120%
Pennsylvania 179 0.674 +118%
Missouri 73 0.527 +70%
Kentucky 50 0.498 +61%
Massachusetts 68 0.495 +60%
Kansas 33 0.481 +56%
Minnesota 59 0.481 +56%
Indiana 74 0.461 +49%
Maryland 55 0.461 +49%
Connecticut 31 0.458 +48%
New York 197 0.455 +47%
Virginia 86 0.453 +47%
Oregon 30 0.395 +28%
New Mexico 13 0.395 +28%
Ohio 96 0.362 +17%
Florida 170 0.359 +16%
Michigan 73 0.356 +15%
Washington 57 0.348 +13%
District of Columbia 5 0.339 +10%
Tennessee 61 0.338 +9%
Wisconsin 40 0.338 +9%
New Jersey 66 0.328 +6%
Nevada 18 0.316 ≈ national
Colorado 40 0.310 ≈ national
Georgia 76 0.300 ≈ national
Iowa 20 0.290 -6%
North Carolina 74 0.290 -6%
Montana 5 0.284 -8%
Texas 236 0.268 -13%
Illinois 67 0.262 -15%
Nebraska 11 0.253 -18%
Arizona 41 0.251 -19%
California 221 0.242 -22%
Louisiana 22 0.215 -30%
South Carolina 22 0.213 -31%
Oklahoma 17 0.192 -38%
Arkansas 11 0.174 -44%
Alabama 18 0.165 -47%
West Virginia 5 0.153 -50%
Idaho 6 0.147 -53%
Mississippi 5 0.088 -72%
Alaska – – –
Delaware – – –
Hawaii – – –
Maine – – –
North Dakota – – –
New Hampshire – – –
Rhode Island – – –
South Dakota – – –
Vermont – – –
Wyoming – – –

State counts come from the Social Security Administration's state files, which omit any state-year with fewer than five babies of a name, so small states can undercount slightly.

The story of Jonas

Jonas is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #599 in 2025 with 476 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.

Since 1880, 28,588 American babies have been named Jonas. Its peak came in 2008, when 1,256 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 2000s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Jonas stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Jonas?

The median living Jonas is about 18 years old; half are between 10 and 31. An estimated 25 thousand people named Jonas are alive in the United States today.

median 18 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Jonas year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Girls Girls rank Boys Boys rank
2025 – – 476 #599
2024 – – 534 #556
2023 – – 556 #532
2022 – – 540 #553
2021 – – 562 #523
2020 – – 609 #486
2019 – – 662 #453
2018 – – 704 #433
2017 – – 695 #446
2016 – – 821 #388
2015 – – 724 #426
2014 – – 566 #498
2013 – – 573 #481
2012 – – 589 #464
2011 – – 538 #489
2010 – – 595 #449
2009 – – 812 #375
2008 – – 1,256 #274
2007 – – 979 #326
2006 – – 861 #353
2005 – – 756 #384
2004 5 #17,321 577 #449
2003 – – 554 #456
2002 – – 584 #423
2001 – – 452 #508
2000 – – 444 #511
1995 – – 257 #652
1990 – – 178 #762
1985 – – 196 #627
1980 – – 341 #455
1975 – – 169 #620
1970 – – 193 #580
1965 – – 87 #800
1960 – – 70 #907
1955 – – 58 #991
1950 – – 64 #858
1945 – – 44 #969
1940 – – 52 #879
1935 – – 51 #888
1930 – – 77 #715
1925 – – 70 #790
1920 – – 84 #708
1915 – – 81 #646
1910 – – 18 #720
1905 – – 19 #538
1900 – – 31 #408
1895 – – 26 #373
1890 – – 22 #380
1885 – – 23 #370
1880 – – 28 #323

Famous people named Jonas

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 Jonas Salk Jonas Salk American inventor of the polio vaccine (1914–1995) Contemporary
  2. 2 Jonas Gahr Støre Jonas Gahr Støre Prime Minister of Norway since 2021 b. 1960 · Contemporary
  3. 3 Jonas Valančiūnas Basketball player, Lithuania b. 1992 · Contemporary
  4. 4 Jonas Savimbi Jonas Savimbi Angolan politician and rebel leader (1934–2002) Contemporary
  5. 5 Jonas Armstrong Actor, Ireland b. 1981 · Contemporary
  6. 6 Jonas Åkerlund Jonas Åkerlund Swedish director b. 1965 · Contemporary
  7. 7 Jonas Kaufmann Jonas Kaufmann German opera singer (born 1969) Contemporary
  8. 8 Jonas Mekas Jonas Mekas Lithuanian-American filmmaker (1922–2019) Contemporary
  9. 9 Jonas Blue Jonas Blue English DJ and producer (born 1989) Contemporary
  10. 10 Jonas Hofmann Jonas Hofmann German footballer (born 1992) Contemporary
  11. 11 Jonas Jerebko Jonas Jerebko Swedish basketball player (born 1987) Contemporary
  12. 12 Jonas Björkman Jonas Björkman Swedish tennis player and coach b. 1972 · Contemporary
  13. 13 Jonas Jonasson Jonas Jonasson Swedish journalist and writer (born 1961) Contemporary
  14. 14 Jonas Hector Jonas Hector German footballer (born 1990) Contemporary
  15. 15 Jonas Lössl Soccer player, Denmark b. 1989 · Contemporary
  16. 16 Jonas Olsson Soccer player, Sweden b. 1983 · Contemporary
  17. 17 Jonas Thern Swedish footballer and manager b. 1967 · Contemporary
  18. 18 Jonas Mačiulis Jonas Mačiulis Lithuanian basketball player and executive b. 1985 · Contemporary
  19. 19 Jonas Kazlauskas Jonas Kazlauskas Lithuanian professional basketball coach and player b. 1954 · Contemporary
  20. 20 Jonas Hiller Hockey player, Switzerland b. 1982 · Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Jonas, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Jonas?

The median living Jonas is about 18 years old. Half of all living Jonass are between 10 and 31 years old.

How many people named Jonas are alive today?

An estimated 25 thousand people named Jonas are alive in the United States, based on 28,588 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

What does the name Jonas mean?

From Latin Iōnās, from Koine Greek Ἰωνᾶς (Iōnâs), from Biblical Hebrew יוֹנָה (yônâh, “dove”).

How popular is the name Jonas in 2025?

Jonas ranked #599 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 476 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Jonas?

28,588 babies have been named Jonas in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Jonas most popular?

Jonas peaked in 2008, when 1,256 newborns received the name.

Is Jonas a boy or girl name?

Jonas is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Jonas rising or falling?

Jonas has been roughly stable over the past decade.

Will Jonas become more popular?

Jonas is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 418 boys named Jonas in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Jonas?

Well-known people named Jonas include Jonas Salk (physician), Jonas Gahr Støre (politician), Jonas Valančiūnas (basketball player).

Names like Jonas

Names that sound and feel close to Jonas: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Jonas with similar names → More names starting with J →