Jonathan
JAH-nuh-than
A classic biblical name meaning “gift of God” or “given by the Lord.”
Meaning
Jonathan comes from Hebrew, usually explained as from YHWH / Jehovah plus a verb meaning “to give,” so the name means “the Lord gave” or “given by Jehovah.” 19th-century sources also gloss it as “the gift of God,” which is the familiar English sense. The name entered English through the Bible and became a long-standing Christian given name.
Origin
HebrewEnglishmasculine
Fun fact
In the Bible, Jonathan is best known as the loyal friend of David, which helped make the name especially popular in Christian tradition.
Confidence: sourced. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.