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