Yunus is the Arabic and Turkish form of Jonah, the Hebrew name meaning "dove". In the Quran, Yunus is the prophet swallowed by the great fish, and the medieval poet Yunus Emre is one of the most beloved figures in Turkish literature. The name had fewer than five births a year in the United States in 2000, stood at number 2863 in 2015 and has risen to number 1296 in 2025, its highest rank yet.