Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Jon

Jon is the short form of Jonathan, a name borne from the Bible as one of King Saul’s sons. Jonathan becomes a devoted friend and supporter of the young David despite the fact that his father, Saul, is extremely jealous of David. He is therefore regarded 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.” Jón and Jon are also the Icelandic, Scandinavian and Basque forms of John.

All About the Baby Name – Jon

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME JON

The Three energy is powerful and enthusiastic. These personalities are cheerful, full of self-expression, and often quite emotional. They have an artistic flair and "gift-of-gab" that makes them natural entertainers. Their joyfulness bubbles over, and their infectious exuberance draws a crowd. The Three personality is like a child - forever young and full of delight. They are charming, witty, and generally happy people. The Three personality lives in the "now" and has a spontaneous nature. Threes seem to live with a bright and seemingly unbreakable aura that attracts others to them. In turn, they are deeply loyal and loving to their friends and family. Luck also has a tendency to favor number Threes.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME JON

The simple one-syllable Jon has done remarkable well on the American charts. Especially as a short form of a longer more formal name (i.e., Jonathan). Jon debuted on the charts in 1920 and by the 1940s it seemed clear that little Jon was headed straight for the Top 100 list. He finally achieved those honors in 1960 when Jon became the 97th most popular boy’s name in America. But he didn’t stop there. The height of Jon’s usage occurred in 1968 when the name hit #65 on the charts. Clearly, Jon was shadowing his bigger brother Jonathan in terms of popularity. As with most short forms or nicknames, Jon is a choice for the more minimalistic parents. It’s not as fancy-pants as Jonathan and it’s more simplistic and modern than John. It’s also the preferred choice for American parents of Scandinavian descent. In any case, Jon has dropped on the charts down to low levels of usage and is no longer commonly used as an independently given name. Familiar Jons you may know such as funnyman Jon Stewart, rock star Jon Bon Jovi, rapper Lil Jon or reality TV star Jon Gosselin were all given the more formal birth names of Jonathan (or John in the case of Bon Jovi).

Quick Facts

ON JON

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

1

RANKING POPULARITY:

638

PRONUNCIATION:

JON

SIMPLE MEANING:

God has given (friendship)

Characteristics

OF JON

Communicative

Creative

Optimistic

Popular

Social

Dramatic

Happy

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Jon

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME JON

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

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME JON

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Jon


Popular Songs

ON JON

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


Famous People

NAMED JON

Jon Stewart (born Jonathan Stuart Leibowitz, TV news personality)
Jon Bon Jovi (born John Francis Bongiovi, Jr., musician)
Lil Jon (born Jonathan Smith, rapper)
Jonathan “Jon” Gosselin (reality TV star)
Jonathan “Jon” Cryer (actor)
Jon Anderson (musician with the band Yes)
Jonathan "Jon" Lovitz (comic/actor)
Jonathan "Jon" Voight (actor)

Children of Famous People

NAMED JON

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

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME JON

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