Explore the Family Name Jonathan
The meaning of Jonathan
English, Welsh, and Jewish: from the Biblical name Jonathan, meaning ‘God has given’ in Hebrew. In the Bible this is the name of a son of King Saul, the close friend of the young David, whose friendship persisted even when Saul and David are themselves at loggerheads (1 Samuel 31; 2 Samuel 1:19–26). In Britain the name is often traceable to Wales and within England it seems rarely if ever to be unambiguously Jewish. The name Jonathan is also found among Christians in southern India, but since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames, the southern Indian name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US. Some characteristic forenames: Jewish Kaplan, Mayer. Indian Basdeo, Sampath.
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Jonathan in the United States?
Based on data from the Decennial U.S. Census, the surname Jonathan has seen an increase in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, the name ranked 40,019 in terms of popularity with a count of 516 individuals bearing this surname. By 2010, both the rank and count increased to 39,004 and 565 respectively, indicating a rise of 2.54% in rank and 9.5% in count. Despite these growth figures, the proportion of people named Jonathan per 100,000 population remained steady at 0.19.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #40,019 | #39,004 | 2.54% |
| Count | 516 | 565 | 9.5% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.19 | 0.19 | 0% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jonathan
When examining the ethnic identities associated with the surname Jonathan, the Decennial U.S. Census data reveals several interesting trends from 2000 to 2010. In 2000, the majority of individuals with the surname identified as White (51.55%), followed by Asian/Pacific Islander (12.98%), Black (12.02%), American Indian and Alaskan Native (8.53%), Hispanic (7.56%), and lastly, those identifying as two or more races (7.36%). However, by 2010, while the white demographic decreased to 41.95%, the other ethnicities saw increases: Asian/Pacific Islanders rose to 16.64%, Blacks to 15.75%, Hispanics to 10.27%, and American Indian and Alaskan Natives to 9.38%. Those who identified as two or more races saw a slight decrease to 6.02%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 51.55% | 41.95% | -18.62% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 12.98% | 16.64% | 28.2% |
| Black | 12.02% | 15.75% | 31.03% |
| Hispanic | 7.56% | 10.27% | 35.85% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 8.53% | 9.38% | 9.96% |
| Two or More Races | 7.36% | 6.02% | -18.21% |