How many options does a
Jonathan have that a
John doesn't? A
John can be
Johnny,
Jack,
Jackie,
Jake. As far as I can tell A
Jonathan could also go by Nathan...which is about it. Also
John doesn't even seem like an appropriate nickname for
Jonathan.
Jon would be the more likely spelling.
You are generalizing when you say "most" referred to the 1800's...only one, maybe two posters made a reference to that, so don't put words in our mouths.
Also, nickname names are rising in popularity. Look how high
Jack is on the list. Not john or Jackson...just
Jack.
Jonathan has stayed pretty consistent in popularity since the 70's, so i don't think it is "more common for a child to be named
Jonathan" nowadays rather than
John.
I agree with some others, that your original post was a bit vague on the direction you wanted to take. It might have been more helpful if you said, "I like
Jonathan nn
John and
Lucas nn
Luke, what do you think about those names?"