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Jonas Family History

Jonas Surname Meaning

English, German, French, Dutch, Polish, Lithuanian, Sorbian, and Jewish (Ashkenazic); Czech (Jonáš); Slovak (mainly Jonáš, also Jónáš, Jónás); Hungarian (Jónás): from a personal name which is a variant of the Biblical name Jonah, Hebrew Yonah meaning ‘dove’ in Hebrew.

In the book of the Bible which bears his name, Jonah was appointed by God to preach repentance to the city of Nineveh but tried to flee instead to Tarshish. On the voyage to Tarshish, a great storm arose and Jonah was thrown overboard by his shipmates to appease God's wrath, swallowed by a great fish, and delivered by it on the shores of Nineveh.

This story exercised a powerful hold on the popular imagination in medieval Europe, and the personal name was a relatively common choice. The Hebrew name and its reflexes in other languages (for example Yiddish Yoyne) have been popular Jewish personal names for generations.

In North America, this surname is also an altered form of the Polish variant Jonasz. Compare Yonas.

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


Similar surnames: 

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Where is the Jonas family from?

You can see how Jonas families moved over time by selecting different census years. The Jonas family name was found in the USA, the UK, Canada, and Scotland between 1840 and 1920. The most Jonas families were found in USA in 1880. In 1891 there were 216 Jonas families living in London. This was about 24% of all the recorded Jonas's in United Kingdom. London had the highest population of Jonas families in 1891.
Use census records and voter lists to see where families with the Jonas 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 Jonas ancestors do for a living?

In 1939, General Labourer and Unpaid Domestic Duties were the top reported jobs for men and women in the United Kingdom named Jonas. 15% of Jonas men worked as a General Labourer and 72% of Jonas women worked as an Unpaid Domestic Duties. Some less common occupations for Americans named Jonas were Farmer and Unpaid Domestic.

View Census Data for Jonas | 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 1939

  • General Labourer
    15%
  • Haulage Contractor
    6%
  • Motor Driver
    6%
  • Farmer
    6%

Top Female Occupations In 1939

  • Unpaid Domestic Duties
    72%
  • Private Means
    8%
  • Housekeeper
    3%
  • Unpaid Domestic
    2%

What Jonas family records will you find?

Census Records

There are 67,000 census records available for the last name Jonas. Like a window into their day-to-day life, Jonas census records can tell you where and how your ancestors worked, their level of education, veteran status, and more.

Search UK census records for Jonas

Passenger Lists

There are 15,000 immigration records available for the last name Jonas. Passenger lists are your ticket to knowing when your ancestors arrived in the UK, and how they made the journey - from the ship name to ports of arrival and departure.

View all Jonas immigration records

Draft Cards

There are 15,000 military records available for the last name Jonas. For the veterans among your Jonas ancestors, military collections provide insights into where and when they served, and even physical descriptions.

View all Jonas military records

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What is the average Jonas lifespan?

Between 1944 and 2004, in the United States, Jonas life expectancy was at its lowest point in 1944, and highest in 2000. The average life expectancy for Jonas in 1944 was 29, and 77 in 2004.

View Social Security Death Index (SSDI) for Jonas

An unusually short lifespan might indicate that your Jonas ancestors lived in harsh conditions. A short lifespan might also indicate health problems that were once prevalent in your family. The SSDI is a searchable database of more than 70 million names. You can find birthdates, death dates, addresses and more.

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