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Jonathan Family History

Jonathan Name Meaning

English Welsh and Jewish: from the Biblical name Jonathan meaning ‘God has given’ in Hebrew. In the Bible this is the name of a son of King Saul the close friend of the young David whose friendship persisted even when Saul and David are themselves at loggerheads (1 Samuel 31; 2 Samuel 19–26). In Britain the name is often traceable to Wales and within England it seems rarely if ever to be unambiguously Jewish. The name Jonathan is also found among Christians in southern India but since South Indians traditionally do not have hereditary surnames the southern Indian name was in most cases registered as such only after immigration of its bearers to the US.

Source: Dictionary of American Family Names 2nd edition, 2022


Similar surnames: Nathan, Ramanathan, Monahan, Jordan, Donathan, Jonassen, Colahan

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Where is the Jonathan family from?

You can see how Jonathan families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jonathan family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Jonathan families were found in United Kingdom in 1891. In 1911 there were 21 Jonathan families living in Ontario. This was about 57% of all the recorded Jonathan's in Canada. Ontario had the highest population of Jonathan families in 1911.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jonathan surname lived. Within census records, you can often find information like name of household members, ages, birthplaces, residences, and occupations.
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What did your Jonathan ancestors do for a living?

In 1921, Farmer and Housekeeper were the top reported jobs for men and women in the Canada named Jonathan. 72% of Jonathan men worked as a Farmer and 100% of Jonathan women worked as a Housekeeper. .

View Census Data for Jonathan | Data not to scale

*We display top occupations by gender to maintain their historical accuracy during times when men and women often performed different jobs.

Top Male Occupations In 1921

  • Farmer
    72%
  • Trapper
    29%

Top Female Occupations In 1921

  • Housekeeper
    100%
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What Jonathan family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 6,000 census records available for the last name Jonathan. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jonathan census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search Canadian census records for Jonathan

Passenger Lists

There are 999 immigration records available for the last name Jonathan. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in Canada, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

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Draft Cards

There are 2,000 military records available for the last name Jonathan. For the veterans among your Jonathan ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

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What is the average Jonathan lifespan?

Between 1963 and 2004, in the United States, Jonathan life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1998, and highest in 1999. The average life expectancy for Jonathan in 1963 was 51, and 78 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Jonathan

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