Fun Facts About the Name Yonatan
- More than 2 thousand babies named Yonatan: U.S. records list 2,550 babies given the name Yonatan from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Yonatan Mean?
Yonatan is a Hebrew name meaning "YHWH has given" or "YHWH gave." It is built from a shortened form of the divine name YHWH (often rendered "the LORD") and the Hebrew verb natan, "to give." The longer Hebrew form Yehonatan (יְהוֹנָתָן) preserves the fuller theophoric element yeho-; Yonatan (יוֹנָתָן) is the shorter form of the same name. A customary paraphrase is "gift of God," but the literal sense of the Hebrew verb is "has given." The related English form is Jonathan.
Yonatan Name History & Origins
The Hebrew Bible contains both Yonatan and the longer Yehonatan. The most prominent bearer is Saul's son and David's friend, called Jonathan in English Bibles; his story runs through 1 and 2 Samuel. The name is also borne by a son of the priest Abiathar and by a Danite priest in the book of Judges. These biblical figures are the main early context for the name.
In Greek and Latin transmission, the name appears as Ionathan and Ionathas, forms that led to English Jonathan. The Hebrew form Yonatan continued in Jewish use and is a modern Hebrew given name. It is often shortened to the nickname Yoni. In English-speaking Jewish communities, Yonatan is used both as a Hebrew name and as a transliteration alongside Jonathan.
How Popular is the Name Yonatan?
Yonatan has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2005. Its best rank was #1,367 in 2001.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,832 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2024 | #2,359 | 60 | 0.0035% |
| 2023 | #2,536 | 53 | 0.0031% |
| 2022 | #2,377 | 60 | 0.0034% |
| 2021 | #2,772 | 46 | 0.0026% |
| 2020 | #2,757 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2019 | #2,210 | 64 | 0.0036% |
| 2018 | #2,208 | 63 | 0.0035% |
| 2017 | #2,293 | 58 | 0.0031% |
| 2016 | #2,133 | 66 | 0.0035% |
| 2015 | #1,893 | 78 | 0.0041% |
| 2014 | #1,906 | 77 | 0.0040% |
| 2013 | #2,020 | 68 | 0.0036% |
| 2012 | #2,322 | 56 | 0.0030% |
| 2011 | #2,056 | 66 | 0.0035% |
| 2010 | #1,955 | 72 | 0.0038% |
| 2009 | #1,939 | 74 | 0.0037% |
| 2008 | #1,773 | 85 | 0.0042% |
| 2007 | #1,712 | 89 | 0.0043% |
| 2006 | #1,534 | 98 | 0.0048% |
| 2005 | #1,470 | 100 | 0.0050% |
| 2004 | #1,670 | 78 | 0.0039% |
| 2003 | #1,496 | 87 | 0.0044% |
| 2002 | #1,413 | 93 | 0.0048% |
| 2001 | #1,367 | 94 | 0.0048% |
| 2000 | #1,665 | 70 | 0.0036% |
| 1999 | #1,558 | 72 | 0.0037% |
| 1998 | #1,665 | 63 | 0.0033% |
| 1997 | #1,887 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 1996 | #1,444 | 72 | 0.0038% |
| 1995 | #1,954 | 44 | 0.0023% |
| 1994 | #2,010 | 42 | 0.0022% |
| 1993 | #2,159 | 37 | 0.0019% |
| 1992 | #2,666 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1991 | #2,469 | 29 | 0.0014% |
| 1990 | #2,305 | 31 | 0.0015% |
| 1989 | #2,614 | 25 | 0.0012% |
| 1988 | #2,679 | 22 | 0.0011% |
| 1987 | #2,397 | 24 | 0.0013% |
| 1986 | #2,006 | 30 | 0.0016% |
| 1985 | #4,045 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1984 | #2,529 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1983 | #3,069 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #2,708 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 1981 | #4,496 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1980 | #3,608 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #2,892 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1978 | #3,213 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 1977 | #3,601 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1976 | #4,928 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1974 | #6,002 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Yonatan Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual. You hate bondage in any form. You have love of beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You are willing to take spiritual matters on faith instead of subjecting them to mental analysis. You are inventive, intuitive and extremely methodical. Since your will is so strong, you are hard to convince. You also dislike advice. You love beauty and philosophy, and you desire achievement. You have a strong need for freedom - physical, mental and spiritual.
You desire to inspire and lead, to control other's affairs. You are giving, courageous and bold, action oriented,energetic and strong willed. You want to make a difference in the world, and this attitude often attracts you to cultural interests, politics, social issues, and the cultivation of your creative talents.
✦ Yonatan's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Yonatan's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.