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Micah vs Jonah

Which is more popular?
Micah is more popular than Jonah today: about 3,817 US babies were given the name Micah in 2025, compared with 2,828 named Jonah.
MicahJonah
Meaning who is like Yahweh? dove
Origin hebrew hebrew
Gender Boy Boy
Pronunciation MY-kah JOH-nah
Syllables 2 2
First appeared19461880
Peak year2022 (3,969)2008 (2,981)
In 20253,8172,828
TrendNear its peakSteady
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Micah Jonah
18801900192019401960198020002020

Source: US Social Security Administration.

Births by decade

DecadeMicahJonah
2020s 22,651 16,935
2010s 36,739 28,053
2000s 27,018 23,697
1990s 13,754 10,073
1980s 11,031 2,889
1970s 6,979 1,767
1960s 1,134 304
1950s 238 298
1940s 27 249
1930s 0 252
1920s 0 329
1910s 0 222
1900s 0 71
1890s 0 65
1880s 0 79

What does Micah mean?

A shortened form of Micaiah (Mikayahu), built as a rhetorical question: mi 'who' + ka 'like' + Yah (short for Yahweh), 'Who is like Yah(weh)?' It is not a literal statement but a theophoric name affirming God's incomparability. Distinct from Michael, which uses El rather than Yah.

What does Jonah mean?

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.

Frequently asked questions

Is Micah or Jonah more popular?

Micah is more popular than Jonah today: about 3,817 US babies were given the name Micah in 2025, compared with 2,828 named Jonah.

What is the difference between Micah and Jonah?

Micah means who is like Yahweh? (hebrew origin), while Jonah means dove (hebrew origin).

Which name is older, Micah or Jonah?

In US records, Micah first appears in 1946 and Jonah in 1880, so Jonah has the longer recorded history.