Jonas
A surname from the biblical given name Jonas, used as a patronymic meaning “son of Jonas.”
The #3,937 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 34,142 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This surname comes from the personal name Jonas, the Greek and Latin form of Jonah. In surname use, it usually meant “son of Jonas,” following the common medieval practice of forming family names from a father’s given name. The name ultimately goes back to Hebrew Yonah, meaning “dove.”
History
Historical surname dictionaries note that Jonas was used as an English given name quite early, and that the surname could arise from that personal name rather than always indicating Jewish ancestry. In Britain it has generally remained less common than related forms such as Jones or Johnson, but it is well established as a hereditary surname. In some cases it may also reflect direct adoption of the biblical given name by families of Jewish or Christian background.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Because Jonas was an early medieval given name, the surname could appear long before the modern idea of fixed family surnames had fully developed.
From the historical record
“Jolifle, JONAS. The personal name. JONES. A genitive form of John, through Johnes, common everywhere in England, but superabundant in Wales. Next to John Smith, John Jones is probably the most common combination of names in Britain. As the Eegistrar-general well observes, "the name of John Jones is in Wales a…”
— Patronymica Britannica: a dictionary of the family names of the United Kingdom