| Noah | Jonathan | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Rest, comfort | Yahweh has given |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | NOH-uh | JON-ə-thən |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2024 (20,409) | 1988 (24,349) |
| In 2025 | 20,358 | 3,822 |
| Trend | Near its peak | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Noah | Jonathan |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 116,024 | 25,386 |
| 2010s | 183,378 | 79,888 |
| 2000s | 143,533 | 144,848 |
| 1990s | 56,269 | 197,503 |
| 1980s | 12,385 | 229,953 |
| 1970s | 5,688 | 107,926 |
| 1960s | 1,519 | 47,389 |
| 1950s | 1,456 | 25,816 |
| 1940s | 1,523 | 8,296 |
| 1930s | 1,606 | 1,663 |
| 1920s | 2,284 | 1,078 |
| 1910s | 1,734 | 660 |
| 1900s | 622 | 139 |
| 1890s | 686 | 129 |
| 1880s | 895 | 192 |
Noah comes from the Hebrew Noach, usually given as “rest” or “comfort.” In the Bible he built the ark and survived the great flood; the name tops the charts for boys today.
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.
Noah is more popular than Jonathan today: about 20,358 US babies were given the name Noah in 2025, compared with 3,822 named Jonathan.
Noah means Rest, comfort (Hebrew origin), while Jonathan means Yahweh has given (hebrew origin).
In US records, Noah first appears in 1880 and Jonathan in 1880, so Noah has the longer recorded history.