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Nicknames for Jonathan

Jon
Jono
Jonny
Jon-Jon
Jack
Nate
Jack Jack
Jackie
Jon Jon
JD
Jo
Joe
Nathan
Nat
Than

Meanings and history of the name Jonathan

Jonathan is the Anglicized version of the Hebrew name "Yonatan." "Yo" is a shortened form of the name of God, and "natan" is Hebrew for "to give" so the name means "God has given" or "God's gift."

Jonathan is the name of several characters in the Bible, most notably King Saul's son, who was a devoted friend of the young David. The name Jonathan is often taken as symbolic of steadfast friendship and loyalty. Jonathan was taken up by English speakers as early as the 13th century, but was a rare name until the Puritans began to use it in the 17th century. In colonial New England Jonathan was such a common name around Boston in 1776 that the British called all American Revolutionary soldiers "Brother Jonathan". This nickname had the effect of causing Jonathan to go out of fashion, both in the U.S. and Britain, though it remained in quiet use. It was rediscovered in the 1940s as parents looked for an alternative to John, making the name popular again. (Although similar in sound, Jonathan and John are completely separate names, yet inevitable confusion of the two has produced Johnathan as a variant.) Jonathan entered the SSA top 100 in 1962, peaked at 15 in 1988, and continues to be in the U.S. top 25 names for baby boys.

Famous real-life people named Jonathan

Jonathan Good, WWE wrestler (Dean Ambrose)
Jonathan Frederick Togo, August 25, 1977 (age 39) actor CSI Miami, identical
Jonathan Lulich (Born 1984) Internet Entrepreneur, Web Developer & Music Producer http://lulich.info
Jonathan Swift (1667-1745), Anglo-Irish clergyman and writer (Gulliver's Travels)
Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), one of the greatest American theologians
Jonathan Trumbull, 18th c. governor of Connecticut and adviser to General Washington
Jonathan Pryce, British actor
Jonathan Demme, filmmaker
Jonathan Richman, musician
Jon Bon Jovi, musician
Jon Stewart, comedian, and host of The Daily Show
Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Actor
Jon Gosselin, reality TV star
Jonathan Papelbon, pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies
Jon Lester, pitcher for the Boston Red Sox
Jonathan Sacconejoly, Youtube Personality
Jonathan Quick, professional ice hockey goalie (Los Angeles Kings)
Jonathan Toews, professional ice hockey player (Chicago Blackhawks)

Jonathan in song, story & screen

Jonathan Lulich, Multiple Albums, (2008 - 2010) http://djsmooth.us
Jonathan Bower, character on the '80s sitcom "Who's the Boss?"
Jonathan Wild, central figure of Henry Fielding novel by that name (1743)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull, book written by Richard Bach in 1973
Jonathan Kent, Clark's father, in the Superman comic book
Jonathan from MPGiS
Jonathan Turner, unconventional English teacher on the ABC TGIF TV show "Boy Meets World"
Jonathan Archer, Captain on the TV series Star Trek: Enterprise