Jona

♂ Boy

Pronounced YOH-nah /ˈjoʊ.nɑ/Medium

Meaning: German/Scandinavian form of Jonah — Hebrew Yonah, 'dove'High

In 30 seconds: A gentle dove: Jona is the German and Scandinavian Jonah — 'dove' — soft, peaceful, and biblical. Crisp and warm.

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Origin MediumHebrew, German

MeaningGerman/Scandinavian form of Jonah — Hebrew Yonah, 'dove'

U.S. rank (2025)#6631 ↘ Falling

2025 U.S. births13 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)

Peak year2024

Total births (all-time)≈ 526

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Jona is the German and Scandinavian form of Jonah — Hebrew Yonah, 'dove', the reluctant prophet of the great fish. A soft, peaceful name, it's popular across Northern Europe.

In the U.S. it appears in German families. Rare, dove at the root, and gentle.

Did you know? Jonah means 'dove' in Hebrew — the prophet swallowed by a great fish; Jona is its sleek German and Scandinavian form.

Overall data confidence 80%

Behind the Name — Jonah — root etymology

Variations

JonahYonaJonas

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

★Jona Lewie (1947-)
British singer-songwriter best known for the Christmas hit 'Stop the Cavalry'
★Jona Weinhofen (1983-)
Australian musician and guitarist known for work with metalcore bands Bring Me the Horizon and I Killed the Prom Queen

If you like Jona…

Jonah— the English form

Jonas— a fellow continental form

Yona— the Hebrew spelling

Noah— a companion soft biblical name

Explore names like Jona

By themehebrew biblical german

By meaningBird

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Jona mean?

Jona is the German/Scandinavian Jonah, Hebrew for 'dove'.

How do you pronounce Jona?

It's said YOH-nah /ˈjoʊ.nɑ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Jona a boy or girl name?

Jona is a boy's name in this form.

How popular is Jona?

Jona is a rare name in the U.S.