jonah

Pronunciation
JOH-nuh

Gender
male

Origin

Hebrew; Biblical

Ranking

  124 (as of 2023)

Meaning: Dove

The name Jonah comes from the Hebrew name Yona, which is derived from the Hebrew word for "dove." In the Bible, Jonah was a prophet who was sent by God to warn the city of Nineveh to repent. The name didn't catch on with parents in the U.S. until the 1970s and didn't crack the Social Security Administration's top 1,000 for boy names until 1996. Jonah has now been a top-150 boy's name every year since 2008, with the exception of 2017. It's also the country singer Jo Dee Messina gave her son Jonah Christopher, born in 2012, and the name Nadya Suleman (also known as Octomon) gave one of her octuplets, born in 2009.

Famous People Named Jonah

  Jonah Hill

  Famous actor known for his roles in comedy and drama films.

  Jonah Lomu

  Legendary rugby player from New Zealand.

  Jonah Lehrer

  Author known for writing about neuroscience and creativity.

  Jonah Peretti

  Co-founder of BuzzFeed and The Huffington Post.

  Jonah Sachs

  Author and expert in storytelling and social change.

  Jonah Berger

  Marketing professor and author of books on social influence.

  Jonah Lehrer

  Author known for writing about neuroscience and creativity.

  Jonah Ray

  Comedian and actor known for his work on Mystery Science Theater 3000.

Famous Media with people Named Jonah

    Jonah and the Whale

    A biblical story about Jonah who is swallowed by a giant fish.  

    Jonah Hex

    A comic book character who is a tough cowboy with a scarred face.  

    Jonah: A VeggieTales Movie

    An animated film featuring the VeggieTales characters retelling the story of Jonah.  

    Jonah Wizard

    A character from the 39 Clues series known for his musical talent.  

    Jonah the Bard

    A character in the game 'The Bard's Tale' known for storytelling.  

    Jonah from 'The Giver'

    A character in the novel 'The Giver' who is a friend of the protagonist.  

    Jonah from 'Supernatural'

    A character from the TV series 'Supernatural'.  

    Jonah from 'The Walking Dead'

    A character from the comic series 'The Walking Dead'.  

    Jonah from 'The Vampire Diaries'

    A character from the TV series 'The Vampire Diaries'.  

    Jonah from 'The Book Thief'

    A minor character in the novel 'The Book Thief'.