Yona

יוֹנָה

• Gender: Unisex
• Origin: Biblical / Rabbinic Hebrew
• Meaning: dove

• Yona is the Hebrew name behind the English Jonah, and it belongs to one of the Bible's most unforgettable characters: the reluctant prophet who fled from God's call, was swallowed by a great fish, and emerged with a message about repentance and second chances. The name also means "dove," linking it to the bird that brought an olive branch back to Noah's ark as a sign of hope and peace.

  Surging as a gender-neutral favorite, this name's appeal is obvious — it is short, melodic and packed with one of the best stories in the entire Bible. It carries themes of repentance and renewal that resonate especially around the High Holidays but feel meaningful year-round. The Hebrew original where Jonah began, and somehow even more beautiful.

• Alternate Spellings: Yonah
• English Equivalent:
  Jonah
• Hebrew Equivalent:
  Yona
• Potential Sibling Name:
  Avital
  ,
  Yael
  ,
  Shimon
  ,
  Reuven
• Theme: animals