Jonael
A masculine name of Hebrew origin with uncertain meaning, possibly from "Yah" (God) and "El" (Lord).
Name Census estimates that about 632 living Americans carry the first name Jonael. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jonael today is around 9 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jonael births was 2015 (232 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jonael. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Jonael with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
632
~ 1 in 542,333 Americans
Peak year
2015
232 babies that year
Average age
9
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,319
Tracked since 2004
Popularity
Jonael: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jonael from the 2000s through to the 2020s, spanning 3 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 517 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jonael by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jonael during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jonaels live
The SSA's state-level files cover 16 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Jonael, while Wisconsin, Oregon, Louisiana recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 23 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jonael
The name Jonael has its origins rooted in Hebrew and ancient Judaic culture. It is believed to be a combination of the Hebrew names "Jonah" and "El", with "Jonah" meaning "dove" and "El" referring to the supreme deity or God. This combination effectively translates to "Dove of God" or "God's Dove".
While the exact time period of its initial usage is uncertain, the name Jonael can be traced back to the Middle Ages, particularly within Jewish communities in Europe. It is possible that the name was inspired by the biblical story of Jonah, a prophet who was swallowed by a great fish and later emerged unharmed, symbolizing the power of faith and divine intervention.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jonael can be found in the writings of the 13th-century Jewish philosopher and mystic, Nachmanides (1194-1270). He made references to individuals bearing this name, suggesting its presence in medieval Jewish communities.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Jonael. One such individual was Jonael of Burgos (c. 1350-1420), a Spanish Jewish scholar and philosopher who converted to Christianity and took the name Pablo de Santa Maria. He played a significant role in the religious debates of his time and served as the Bishop of Burgos from 1415 until his death.
Another prominent figure was Jonael ben Abraham Buli (c. 1465-1542), a Venetian rabbi and author who wrote extensively on Jewish law and philosophy. His works, such as the "Responsa" and "Chiddushim," were highly influential in their time.
In the 16th century, Jonael Abravanel (c. 1515-1577), a Portuguese-born Jewish scholar and financier, gained recognition for his contributions to the study of the Hebrew Bible and his support of Jewish communities throughout Europe.
The name Jonael also found its way into the arts, with Jonael Schickard (1592-1635), a German mathematician, astronomer, and inventor who pioneered in the field of mechanical calculators and is considered one of the founders of modern computer science.
Lastly, Jonael Cohen (1633-1701), a Dutch rabbi and Talmudic scholar, made significant contributions to the interpretation and understanding of Jewish law during the 17th century through his writings and teachings.
People
Jonael + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jonael as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jonael: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jonael?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 632 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jonael going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 542,333 US residents.
Is Jonael a common name?
We classify Jonael as "Very Rare". It ranks above 86.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 637 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jonael most popular?
The single biggest year for Jonael was 2015, when 232 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jonael is about 9 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jonael in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jonael a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jonael in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jonael still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jonael in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jonael can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How common is the name Jonael?
See how many people have the name Jonael on HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site built around that single question.