Meaning: Its source is Yonah, a Hebrew name meaning "Dove."

Languages: This boy's name is used in Dutch.

Narrative: This name is sometimes interpreted to mean ''peace.'' As the dove is an almost universal symbol of peace, this is more of a variation than an alternative translation.

Jonah is a prophet in the Jewish scriptures whom God commissions to preach to the Gentiles of Nineveh. Abhoring this task, Jonah tries to escape by fleeing to sea. When a tempest hits, he knows that God's anger at him is the cause of it; he insists on being thrown overboard as a sacrifice.

The tempest abates as Jonah is swallowed by a great fish (identified in folk tradition as a whale.) After spending three days and nights in the belly of the fish, he is vomited up on the shore. He realizes the futility of resisting God's will, and proceeds to Nineveh, where his preaching brings about the conversion of the entire populace.

Meaning: Its source is Yochana, a Hebrew name meaning "God's grace."

Nicknames: Jon

Popularity: The name Jona ranked 2827th in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

Narrative: The Hebrew Yochana was translated into Latin as Joanna or Johanna. Over time these developed into the Old French Jehan(n)e. At various points this string of ancestors spun off many modern variations that have enjoyed a great deal of popularity.

Most of them share the quality of simplicity. Whether we call to mind the fictitious Jane Q. Public or the legendary Joan of Arc (Jeanne D'Arc in French), these names seem to emerge from the heart of the people.