| Jonathan | Zachary | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Yahweh has given | The Lord has remembered |
| Origin | hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JON-ə-thən | ZAK-uh-ree |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1900 |
| Peak year | 1988 (24,349) | 1993 (25,538) |
| In 2025 | 3,822 | 1,646 |
| Trend | Declining | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Jonathan | Zachary |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 25,386 | 13,208 |
| 2010s | 79,888 | 51,146 |
| 2000s | 144,848 | 134,756 |
| 1990s | 197,503 | 225,290 |
| 1980s | 229,953 | 101,818 |
| 1970s | 107,926 | 19,060 |
| 1960s | 47,389 | 3,476 |
| 1950s | 25,816 | 2,169 |
| 1940s | 8,296 | 404 |
| 1930s | 1,663 | 142 |
| 1920s | 1,078 | 168 |
| 1910s | 660 | 109 |
| 1900s | 139 | 6 |
| 1890s | 129 | 0 |
| 1880s | 192 | 0 |
From Hebrew Yehonatan, combining yeho (a form of Yahweh) + natan 'to give' — 'Yahweh has given'. A 'gift of God' name framed as God's act of giving.
Zachary is an English form of Zechariah, Hebrew for “Yahweh remembers.” It was borne by Zachary Taylor, the twelfth US president.
Jonathan is more popular than Zachary today: about 3,822 US babies were given the name Jonathan in 2025, compared with 1,646 named Zachary.
Jonathan means Yahweh has given (hebrew origin), while Zachary means The Lord has remembered (Hebrew origin).
In US records, Jonathan first appears in 1880 and Zachary in 1900, so Jonathan has the longer recorded history.