Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Johnathan

Johnathan is an elaborate version of the traditionally spelled Jonathan. Perhaps it’s the marriage of the names John and Nathan. The name Jonathan is borne from the Bible as one of King Saul’s sons, and a devoted friend and supporter of the young David (despite the fact that his father, Saul, is extremely jealous of David). He is thus seen as a symbol of loyalty and friendship. Upon Jonathan’s death in the Bible, David laments: “I am distressed for you, my brother Jonathan; very pleasant you have been to me; your love to me was extraordinary, surpassing the love of women.” (2 Samuel 1:26). Jonathan comes from a Hebrew word that contains the same elements as the name Matthew, meaning “God has given.”

All About the Baby Name – Johnathan

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME JOHNATHAN

The number one personality is a leader - strong and competitive. They are willing to initiate action and take risks. One personalities work hard toward their endeavors and have the ability to apply their creative and innovative thinking skills with strong determination. They believe in their ability to succeed and are too stubborn to be hindered by obstacles. Ones meet obstacles head-on with such mental vigor and energy that you better step aside. They resent taking orders, so don't try telling them what to do either. This is an intensely active personality, but they are also known as starters rather than finishers. They have a propensity to become bored and will move quickly to the next project if not properly challenged.  They are the ones to think up and put into action new and brilliant ideas, but they are not the ones to stick around and manage them. This personality has an enthusiastic and pioneering spirit. They are distinctly original.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME JOHNATHAN

Excepting a couple little blips on the charts in the late 1880s, the name Johnathan does not come into use in America until 1952, making it a relatively new invention. For the next almost 40 years, Johnathan would climb the charts quietly until reaching its high-point of popularity in 1990 (at position #108 on the charts). Johnathan has never been a Top 100 favorite, but it got quite close in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Certainly the extreme popularity of Jonathan in the 1980s had an influence on the success of Johnathan. Johnathan has been experiencing backwards momentum on the charts since 1990. Today the name is no longer a Top 200 favorite and definitely not as popular as John, Jonathan or even Nathan. The one thing parents should keep in mind is that their child will go through life saying “Johnathan. That’s Jonathan with an H.” Otherwise, why not just consider the traditional spelling of Jonathan? Unless parents like the idea of combining two separate names John and Nathan. Then it makes more sense.

Quick Facts

ON JOHNATHAN

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

3

RANKING POPULARITY:

280

PRONUNCIATION:

JOHN-a-thin

SIMPLE MEANING:

God has given; friendship, loyalty

Characteristics

OF JOHNATHAN

Independent

Individualistic

Ambitious

Strong-willed

Inventive

Successful

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Johnathan

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME JOHNATHAN

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Johnathan

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME JOHNATHAN

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Johnathan


Popular Songs

ON JOHNATHAN

We cannot find any popular or well-known songs with the name of Johnathan


Famous People

NAMED JOHNATHAN

Johnathan Aitken (hockey player)
Johnathan Goddard (football player)
Johnathan Joseph (football player)
Johnathan A. Rodgers (businessman)
Johnathan Sullivan (football player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED JOHNATHAN

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Johnathan

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME JOHNATHAN

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Johnathan