Jonas (name)

Jonas
Gender Male
Origin
Word/name Hebrew
Meaning Dove; peaceful being, destroyer, he who oppresses, accomplishing, and a gift from God
Other names
Related names Jonah, Jones, John, Joonas, Yonah, Yunus, Jonnas
Is also an anagram of the name Jason.
Look up Jonas in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Jonas is a common male name in many Western world countries. It is primarily used as a first name, but also occurs as a surname. It is particularly frequent in Germany and the Nordic countries: Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden; it is also the most common name in Lithuania, but in Lithuanian it has a different origin. Its widespread use and popularity has roots in its Christian origin: the name is mostly used in countries where Christianity is the main religion, although it is also known globally. In Turkish, Arabic and the Muslim world the equivalent name is Yunus (یونس) or Younes. In North America the name found popularity among Métis and Aboriginals in the Northwest.

Greek etymology

Jonas possibly originates form the Greek word Ίωνας (Ionas), a member of the Greek tribe (Ιωνες) Iones or Ionians, who colonized western Asia.

Meaning

The Hebrew version of the name means Dove; That is because word 'jonas' comes from the Greek word οιωνός, (pronounced: e-oh-nos) which means "sign", because in ancient Greece believed that birds were sent by gods as a sign to people. From this it is assumed that the name Jonas means a peaceful being. The Biblical version of the name includes the Hebrew meaning, but additionally means someone who is a 'destroyer' or 'he who oppresses'. As a variation of Jonah, it can be considered to mean 'accomplishing', and a 'gift from God'.

Notable people with the given name Jonas

Notable people with the surname Jonas

Fictional characters

Male variants

Contemporary use of the name Jonas