Find out how popular the last name Jonas is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Jonas.

Jonas, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Jonas surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jonas in America

Jonas is the 3937th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jonas surname appeared 9,043 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 3 people would have the surname Jonas.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jonas to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Jonas

The surname JONAS is of German and Scandinavian origin, derived from the Hebrew biblical name "Yonah" or "Yonatan," meaning "dove" or "gift of God." It is believed to have first appeared in Germany and the surrounding regions during the Middle Ages.

In Germany, the name JONAS emerged as a patronymic surname, indicating the name of the father or an ancestor. It was commonly adopted by the children of a man named Jonas or a variation of that name, such as Johann or Johannes.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname JONAS can be traced back to the 13th century in German and Scandinavian records. In Denmark, for instance, a man named Jonas Olafsson was mentioned in a document from the year 1278.

One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname JONAS was Johannes Jonas, a German theologian and Protestant Reformer who lived from 1493 to 1555. He was a close associate of Martin Luther and played a significant role in the Protestant Reformation.

Another historical figure bearing the surname JONAS was Justus Jonas, a German lawyer and diplomat who lived from 1493 to 1555. He served as a legal advisor to the Elector of Saxony and was involved in the negotiations during the Reformation.

In the 16th century, the name JONAS appeared in various place names across Germany and Scandinavia, such as Jonasdorf, a village in Saxony, and Jonastorp, a locality in Sweden.

During the 17th century, the surname JONAS gained prominence in England, where it was likely introduced by German and Scandinavian immigrants. One notable English bearer of the name was Benjamin Jonas, a Puritan minister and author who lived from 1617 to 1697.

In the 18th century, the JONAS surname spread further across Europe and beyond. Gottfried Jonas, a German painter and engraver who lived from 1758 to 1827, was a notable figure from this period.

As the name JONAS expanded globally, it also underwent various spelling variations, such as Jonass, Jonasson, and Jonassen, reflecting regional differences and language adaptations.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jonas

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Jonas.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Jonas was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Jonas has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Jonas was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jonas, please contact us.

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