NameCensus.

UK boy's name

Jonathon

A masculine name derived from the Hebrew "Yonatan", meaning "gift from God".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2020. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Jonathon is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Jonathon popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2020 in this profile. In that release it ranked #3848, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 1996, with 190 births.

This profile covers 1,245 England and Wales registrations across 25 recorded years from 1996 to 2020. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 2% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 1,817 living people in the UK are called Jonathon. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2021 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Jonathon ranked #3848 for boys in England and Wales in 2020, with 4 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 1996, when 190 boys were registered as Jonathon.
  • Jonathon ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #265 in 2005.
  • About 1,817 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jonathon as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#3848

2020

Births in 2020

4

Latest year

Peak year

1996

190 births

Estimated living

1,817

2026

Meaning

What does Jonathon mean?

The name Jonathon is derived from the Hebrew name Yonatan, which means "Yahweh has given" or "gift of Yahweh." It has its origins in the ancient Hebrew language, and its earliest recorded use can be traced back to the Old Testament of the Bible.

In the biblical narrative, Jonathan was the eldest son of King Saul and a close friend of David. He was a brave warrior and a loyal ally to David, even going against his father's wishes to protect him. Jonathan's unwavering friendship and support for David are celebrated in the biblical accounts.

The name Jonathon has been used throughout history, with various spellings such as Jonathan, Jonathon, and Jonathane. One of the earliest recorded examples of the name can be found in the 11th century, when Jonathan the Scribe, a monk from Normandy, produced his famous works.

In the 16th century, the Protestant reformer Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758) was a prominent figure who made significant contributions to Christian theology and philosophy. His works, such as "Freedom of the Will" and "Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God," had a lasting impact on religious thought.

During the American Revolution, Jonathan Trumbull (1710-1785), known as "Brother Jonathan," was a prominent figure who served as the Governor of Connecticut and played a crucial role in supporting the Continental Army.

Another notable figure bearing this name was Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), the Irish satirist and author best known for his works "Gulliver's Travels" and "A Modest Proposal."

In the world of literature, Jonathan Franzen (born 1959) is a contemporary American novelist celebrated for his works, including "The Corrections" and "Freedom," which explore themes of family, identity, and modern life.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Jonathon over time

The chart below shows babies named Jonathon registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2020. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Jonathon, the clearest high point is 1996. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2020, compared with 190 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Jonathon
04895143190199620082020

Decades

Jonathon by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jonathon was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2020s #3848 4 1
2010s #2365 112 10
2000s #600 535 10
1990s #219 594 4

Geography

Where Jonathon is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Jonathon. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Jonathon ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #265 in 2005.

Northern Ireland
4
Scotland
3

Across the UK

Jonathon in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#638 in 2010

35 years of NRS records, 522 total registered

Northern Ireland (NISRA)

#265 in 2005

9 years of NISRA records, 74 total registered

Notable bearers

Famous people named Jonathon

  • Jonathon W. G. Wills

    journalist

    Scottish journalist

    2000-

  • Jonathon Webb

    cricketer

    cricketer (born 1992)

    1992-

  • Jonathon Lodwick

    barrister; cricketer

    English barrister and cricketer

    1989-

  • Jonathon Burden

    (born 1986)

    1986-

  • Jonathon Wright

    British digital therapist, management consultant, strategic thought leader

    1980-

  • Jonathon Harvey

    cricketer

    English cricketer (born 1969)

    1969-

  • Jonathon Neill

    rugby league player

    English rugby league footballer

    1968-

  • Jonathon Benn

    cricketer

    cricketer (born 1967)

    1967-

Related

Names similar to Jonathon

FAQ

Jonathon: questions and answers

How popular is the name Jonathon in the UK right now?

In 2020, Jonathon was ranked #3848 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.

When was Jonathon most popular?

The peak year on record was 1996, with 190 babies registered as Jonathon in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Jonathon?

A masculine name derived from the Hebrew "Yonatan", meaning "gift from God".

How many people are called Jonathon in the UK?

A total of 1,245 babies have been registered as Jonathon across the 25 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 522 more in Scotland and 74 in Northern Ireland.

Where is Jonathon most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Jonathon ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #265 in 2005. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.