| Jonah | Abel | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | dove | Breath |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JOH-nah | AY-bul |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2008 (2,981) | 2015 (3,245) |
| In 2025 | 2,828 | 1,525 |
| Trend | Steady | Rising |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Jonah | Abel |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 16,935 | 10,674 |
| 2010s | 28,053 | 23,554 |
| 2000s | 23,697 | 8,364 |
| 1990s | 10,073 | 6,484 |
| 1980s | 2,889 | 4,730 |
| 1970s | 1,767 | 3,528 |
| 1960s | 304 | 2,665 |
| 1950s | 298 | 2,088 |
| 1940s | 249 | 1,225 |
| 1930s | 252 | 939 |
| 1920s | 329 | 881 |
| 1910s | 222 | 559 |
| 1900s | 71 | 121 |
| 1890s | 65 | 118 |
| 1880s | 79 | 107 |
From Hebrew yonah, 'dove.' The reluctant prophet of the Book of Jonah. A plain concrete noun with no theophoric element; the dove's later peace symbolism is cultural, not part of the etymology.
From the Hebrew Hevel, usually read “breath” or “vapour.” Abel is the son of Adam in Genesis.
Jonah is more popular than Abel today: about 2,828 US babies were given the name Jonah in 2025, compared with 1,525 named Abel.
Jonah means dove (hebrew origin), while Abel means Breath (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Jonah first appears in 1880 and Abel in 1880, so Jonah has the longer recorded history.