Show ContentsJonas History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Early Origins of the Jonas family

The surname Jonas was first found in Freienwalde, where the family was widely established in early times.

Early History of the Jonas family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jonas research. Another 76 words (5 lines of text) covering the years 1493, 1555, 1733 and 1752 are included under the topic Early Jonas History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jonas Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: Jonasch, Jonash, Jonas, Jonasz, Jonat, Jonietz, Joneweit, Jonescheit, Joneleit, Jonischkeit, Joneck, Jonek, Jonentz, Jonack and many more.

Early Notables of the Jonas family

Prominent bearers of the name Jonas at this time were

  • Justus Jonas (1493-1555), German Protestant reformer, friend to Martin Luther

Jonas World Ranking

In the United States, the name Jonas is the 5,228th most popular surname with an estimated 4,974 people with that name. 1 However, in France, the name Jonas is ranked the 7,427th most popular surname with an estimated 1,000 - 1,500 people with that name. 2 And in South Africa, the name Jonas is the 387th popular surname with an estimated 18,568 people with that name. 3


United States Jonas migration to the United States +

Some of the first settlers of this family name were:

Jonas Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • Engel Jonas, who settled in Philadelphia in 1748
  • Engel Jonas, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1749 4
  • Johannes Jonas, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1749 4
  • Simon Jonas, who landed in North Carolina in 1767 4
  • Friederich Jonas, who arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1791 4
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)
Jonas Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Robert Jonas, (b. 1806), aged 26, Cornish blacksmith departing from Plymouth aboard the ship "Andromeda" arriving in the United States on 10th May 1832 5
  • Mr. Sebastian Jonas, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Louise"
  • Mrs. Regina Jonas, (nee Geyer), German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Louise"
  • Mrs. Jonas, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Riga"
  • Mr. Peter Jonas, aged 26, German who arrived in Galveston, Texas in 1846 aboard the ship "Riga"
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Australia Jonas migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Jonas Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Jacob Jonas, British Convict who was convicted in London, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 6
  • Mr. David Jonas, British Convict who was convicted in Middlesex, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Coromandel" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 7
  • Mr. John Jonas, (b. 1815), aged 24, Cornish shoemaker travelling aboard the ship "Orient" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1839 8
  • Miss Mary Jonas, (b. 1817), aged 22, Cornish servant travelling aboard the ship "Orient" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1839 8
  • Mr. John Jonas, (b. 1818), aged 21, Cornish boot and shoe maker travelling aboard the ship "Orient" arriving in New South Wales, Australia on 4th April 1839 9
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

New Zealand Jonas migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

Jonas Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Matthew Jonas, (b. 1802), aged 39, British labourer travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 10
  • Mrs. Elizabeth Jonas, (b. 1804), aged 37, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 10
  • Mr. John Jonas, (b. 1828), aged 13, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 10
  • Miss Elizabeth Jonas, (b. 1833), aged 8, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 10
  • Miss Mary Jonas, (b. 1836), aged 5, British settler travelling from Plymouth aboard the ship "Oriental" arriving in New Plymouth, Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand via Wellington on 7th November 1841 10
  • ... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Contemporary Notables of the name Jonas (post 1700) +

  • Joseph Adam Jonas (b. 1989), American singer, songwriter, and actor, member of the pop rock band the Jonas Brothers, alongside his brothers Kevin and Nick
  • Hans Jonas (1903-1993), German-born, American philosopher
  • Dusty Jonas (b. 1986), American high jumper bronze medalist
  • Paul Kevin Jonas II (b. 1987), American musician and actor who with his brothers Joseph Adam and Nicholas Jerry form the Jonas Brothers, an American Grammy nominated boy band
  • Charles Andrew Jonas (1876-1955), U.S. Representative from North Carolina
  • Benjamin Franklin Jonas (1834-1911), Democratic U.S. Senator from Louisiana
  • Ann Jonas (b. 1932), American writer and illustrator of children's picture books
  • August Frederick Jonas (1858-1934), American surgeon in Nebraska
  • Manfred Jonas, author and Professor of History at Union College in New York, New York
  • Sir John Peter Jonas CBE FRCM FRSA (1946-2020), British arts administrator and opera company director
  • ... (Another 5 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Bismarck
  • Günther Jonas (1922-1941), German Matrosengefreiter who served aboard the German Battleship Bismarck during World War II when it was sunk heading to France; he died in the sinking 11
SS Atlantic
  • Angelo Jonas, who was traveling aboard the ship "SS Atlantic" when it struck rocks off Nova Scotia in 1873, died in the sinking


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
  3. "Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
  4. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  5. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, April 30). Emigrants to New York 1820 - 1891 [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_new_york_1820_1891.pdf
  6. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
  7. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
  8. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 2018, May 30). Ships' Passenger Lists of Arrivals in New South Wales on (1828 - 1842, 1848 - 1849) [PDF]. Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_nsw_1838_on.pdf
  9. Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_bounty_nsw.pdf
  10. New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 26th March 2019). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
  11. Bismarck & Tirpitz Class - Crew List Bismarck. (Retrieved 2018, February 06). Retrieved from https://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/crew/bismarck_crew.html#crew_details


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