Yonis

Meaning of Yonis

Yonis, a Somali adaptation of the Arabic Yunus and ultimately of the Hebrew Yonah—meaning “dove”—connotes the interwoven religious traditions associated with the prophetic figure Jonah, encompassing Judaic, Christian and Islamic narratives within a unified appellation. Pronounced [yo-NEES] (/jɔniːs/) according to Somali phonology, the name preserves its native phonetic integrity even as it is adopted in Anglo-American contexts, thereby offering parents a distinctive choice that combines linguistic authenticity with cross-cultural appeal. Data from the United States Social Security Administration indicate that, between 1994 and 2024, Yonis was recorded for newborn males in annual frequencies alternating between five and twenty-six occurrences, corresponding to national popularity ranks fluctuating between the 773rd and 931st positions—a distribution that underscores the name’s sustained yet modest presence in American naming conventions. This consistent but limited adoption reflects an analytical trend among parents seeking names endowed with etymological depth, historical associations and a clear narrative dimension.

Pronunciation

Somali

• Pronunced as yo-NEES (/jɔniːs/)

• Yonatan
• Yonah
• Yonas
• Yoniel