Hello everyone,
I love the name Jona for a girl, but I wonder if the average American knows that it’s unisex. Do you think that on paper, the name would generally be perceived as a boy’s name, perhaps as an alternative spelling of Jonah?
Does Jona feel masculine to you, or does it give you unisex (or even feminine) vibes?
I prefer the [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] spelling, and I’ve always really really liked this name for a girl! I think it’s super spunky and fresh, especially for a girl. I love [name_u]Jo[/name_u] as a nickname, and I love the sound! A lovely pick.
I’m an American, if it helps, and while I would assume on paper that a [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] is a boy, I’d be delighted to see a girl instead! I find [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] a unisex name in my experience. Leaning masculine just because of its popularity, but truly gorgeous on a girl.
Are you pronouncing it like JOHN-uh? If so, I know several women with that name (spelled Jonna), and I’ve always thought it was unique and lovely.
I’d pronounce it like [name_u]Jonah[/name_u]. [name_f]Do[/name_f] you think it would often be mispronounced as [name_f]Jonna[/name_f]?
I think [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] would be gorgeous as well, but I’m currently leaning more towards the [name_m]Jona[/name_m] spelling, as that was my mother’s name (it’s unisex where I’m from). Does that spelling without the h make it look more “obviously” female than [name_u]Jonah[/name_u], or does it seem equally unisex to you?
Actually, the spelling of [name_m]Jona[/name_m] looks more feminine to me! [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] is just my personal preference. 
[name_m]Jona[/name_m] looks like it could be feminine - it sounds nice 
no
[name_m]Jona[/name_m] on paper is certainly more feminine to me - I would assume a [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] was a boy though. The pronunciation leans masculine, but I think it’s unisex enough that it works.
As someone who is Jewish, [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] is not unisex at all. The story of [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] is an important part of the High [name_f]Holiday[/name_f] liturgy. I would pronounce [name_m]Jona[/name_m] like [name_f]Jonna[/name_f] and it never would have occurred to me to pronounce like [name_u]Jonah[/name_u].
Unlike in Latinate languages, the “ah” ending does not signify a feminine gender in Hebrew.
That’s good to know!
Thank you for your input! In [name_u]Germany[/name_u] and some Scandinavian countries, [name_m]Jona[/name_m] is also a short form of [name_f]Johanna[/name_f] and a feminine version of [name_m]Jon[/name_m] (John).
I have a cousin named [name_u]Janne[/name_u] in Norway, but had never seen the [name_m]Jona[/name_m] spelling.
I know two [name_m]German[/name_m] women named [name_m]Jona[/name_m], but don’t have much information about how common the name is overall, as [name_u]Germany[/name_u] doesn’t have official name statistics. Apparently, there are 345 men and 132 women named [name_m]Jona[/name_m] in [name_u]Sweden[/name_u], though.
I didn’t know it was unisex. But having it spelt [name_m]Jona[/name_m] feels more feminine to me. So is go with that spelling
I recently met someone with this name, it was the first time I’d heard it. She pronounces it John-Ah. It’s not my style personally. I think I prefer the Joan-ah pronunciation.
That’s interesting, I would not have expected the JOHN-a pronunciation. I suppose that pronouncing the name like [name_u]Jonah[/name_u] wouldn’t sound counterintuitive to most [name_f]English[/name_f] speakers, so I think that’s how I’d say it.