Jonah vs Oliver
How Jonah and Oliver compare across 146 years of US Social Security Administration baby-name records — popularity history, peak years, current rank, and which name overtook which.
Jonah
Male · Hebrew
Meaning: Dove. In The Bible Jonah Was On Board A Ship God Caused To Sink: Sailors Traditionally Use The Name Jonah To Personify Someone Who Brings Bad Luck.
US Popularity History — Side-by-Side
Annual US births named Jonah (boys) vs Oliver (boys), from US Social Security Administration national records.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Names appearing fewer than 5 times per year are suppressed by SSA.
Quick Stats
| Metric | Jonah | Oliver |
|---|---|---|
| Peak year (most US births) | 2008 — 2,981 boys | 2024 — 15,343 boys |
| Peak rank | #136 | #3 |
| Most recent rank (2025) | #128 (2,828 births) | #3 (14,939 births) |
| Total US births since 1880 | 68,652 | 212,737 |
| Last 10 years (2016–2025) | 27,624 | 142,959 |
Peak comparison takeaway
At its all-time peak, Oliver reached 15,343 US births in 2024 — 12,362 more than Jonah's peak count.
Crossover Years
Years where one name first passed the other in annual US births. A name "winning" in a year means it had more births that year, not necessarily a higher rank.
| Year | New leader | Jonah births | Oliver births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Jonah | 1,833 | 978 |
| 2007 | Oliver | 2,510 | 2,910 |
Strongest States — Last 10 Years
States where each name ranked highest, from SSA's state-level dataset. Lower average rank = name appears closer to the top of that state's boys-name list.
Jonah — top 5 states
| # | State | Avg rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kentucky | #103 | 477 |
| 2 | Vermont | #109 | 35 |
| 3 | District of Columbia | #111 | 88 |
| 4 | New Mexico | #121 | 163 |
| 5 | Maine | #121 | 106 |
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Data & methodology
Source: US Social Security Administration national baby names dataset 1880–2025 (CC0 public domain). Names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a given year are suppressed by SSA. State-level coverage runs 1910–2025. Crossover detection compares annual birth counts (not ranks) for each year both names appear. Methodology: see full notes. More comparisons →