Jo

#3,975 for girls in 2025, 36 births · #8,910 for boys in 2025, 8 births
Given to girls 99.0% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1947 · 6,724 births
Debut · girls
5 births
In top 100 · girls
26 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
179,057
since 1881

Jo over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000#10,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201940peak #51, 1947girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#3,97536#8,9108
2024#4,20734#7,25711
2023#3,38647#8,2559
2022#4,04136—
2021#3,61442—
2020#4,00535#8,7398
2019#4,16234—
2018#3,73940#10,7606
2017#3,76940#8,1409
2016#4,25034#9,6647
2015#4,98127—
2014#6,71318#10,7176
2013#7,74815—
2012#6,87218#7,05011
2011#8,19614#10,8086
2010#14,9596#9,6937
2009#7,06618—
2008#7,40817#9,8717
2007#7,09218#6,62212
2006#5,38325#9,5857
2005#6,82017—
2004#6,48918#7,5369
2003#4,41829#6,25811
2002#4,28029#5,72512
2001#4,32128#7,5368
2000#4,79124#5,04014
1999#2,93545#6,04210
1998#2,61452#6,8438
1997#2,30958#9,2655
1996#2,76044#6,4968
1995#2,28258#7,7926
1994#2,12464#8,8005
1993#2,19560#5,7719
1992#1,96570#4,87211
1991#1,91373#5,5219
1990#1,71685#7,1786
1989#1,57489#4,01713
1988#1,300111#7,2705
1987#1,128132#2,83818
1986#1,249109#5,3327
1985#925171#2,42721
1984#766210#3,10714
1983#770207#2,40820
1982#664267#2,51819
1981#547340#2,49619
1980#540349#2,72917
1979#589306#2,56818
1978#549323#2,20521
1977#507365#2,45818
1976#461417#2,94613
1975#391520#2,90213
1974#366587#3,31810
1973#332665#2,40516
1972#324722#2,08019
1971#299910#1,98721
1970#2721,103#1,65827
1969#2511,164#1,81021
1968#2261,325#2,9079
1967#2141,409#2,24213
1966#2001,590#1,96316
1965#1831,852#2,36612
1964#1842,052#1,65523
1963#1772,190#1,74421
1962#1672,449#1,45429
1961#1522,795#1,73122
1960#1343,371#1,24240
1959#1154,052#1,52227
1958#915,226#1,76620
1957#835,718#1,30036
1956#696,953#1,41830
1955#587,656#1,31333
1954#538,052#1,52525
1953#547,513#1,55124
1952#557,092#1,26834
1951#676,001#1,51924
1950#645,676#1,28931
1949#605,802#1,32230
1948#565,986#1,23134
1947#516,724#1,33630
1946#535,828#1,69218
1945#604,224#1,16332
1944#614,226#1,48321
1943#634,300#1,24031
1942#654,175#1,49622
1941#663,757#1,16932
1940#723,427#1,39723
1939#703,524#1,45821
1938#783,172#1,24728
1937#733,226#1,23329
1936#723,292#1,41722
1935#733,296#1,12334
1934#753,257#1,17332
1933#902,541#1,33025
1932#1032,388#1,71618
1931#1162,086#1,17034
1930#1311,871#1,19035
1929#1401,593#1,37827
1928#1791,168#1,64721
1927#203974#1,95917
1926#222815#2,43612
1925#264635#2,19314
1924#285534#2,34713
1923#334385#2,22414
1922#376302#2,34713
1921#417259#2,9869
1920#444231#1,50525
1919#437227#2,51111
1918#479199#2,07315
1917#561145#3,2177
1916#538152#2,38911
1915#570128#2,45810
1914#550103#3,2645
1913#53889#1,9459
1912#59168—
1911#67641#1,5376
1910#67240—
1909#60841—
1908#54646—
1907#64933—
1906#61134—
1905#60034—
1904#68226—
1903#60729—
1902#66725—
1901#74719—
1900#74224—
1899#79117—
1898#82117—
1897#78616—
1896#70720—
1895#98611—
1894#78215—
1893#1,0239—
1892#83013—
1891#69515—
1890#1,0997—
1889#80211—
1888#1,0367—
1887#1,1475—
1886#60614—
1885#65811—
1884#8517—
1883#6519—
1882——
1881#8305—
1880——
First appearance
1881

The first year at least five girls were named Jo! It came in at #830, and was given to 5 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1881–1882, when fewer than 6 girls a year got the name.

Where Jo is popular in 1940

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Jo, so not publishedAKMaine: fewer than 5 girls named Jo, so not publishedMEVermont: fewer than 5 girls named Jo, so not publishedVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Jo, so not publishedNHWashington: #59 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 269 girlsWAIdaho: #68 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 267 girlsIDMontana: #62 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 238 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #187 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 1,064 girlsNDMinnesota: #128 for girls · 31 births · 1 in 732 girlsMNIllinois: #84 for girls · 150 births · 1 in 375 girlsILWisconsin: #102 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 562 girlsWIMichigan: #93 for girls · 97 births · 1 in 451 girlsMINew York: #162 for girls · 88 births · 1 in 1,019 girlsNYMassachusetts: #164 for girls · 20 births · 1 in 1,469 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Jo, so not publishedRIOregon: #78 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 340 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Jo, so not publishedNVWyoming: #45 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 151 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #123 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 590 girlsSDIowa: #71 for girls · 53 births · 1 in 372 girlsIAIndiana: #62 for girls · 89 births · 1 in 302 girlsINOhio: #72 for girls · 161 births · 1 in 327 girlsOHPennsylvania: #124 for girls · 115 births · 1 in 652 girlsPANew Jersey: #194 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 1,435 girlsNJConnecticut: #168 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,331 girlsCTCalifornia: #67 for girls · 169 births · 1 in 295 girlsCAUtah: #58 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 228 girlsUTColorado: #50 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 211 girlsCONebraska: #65 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 257 girlsNEMissouri: #45 for girls · 136 births · 1 in 206 girlsMOKentucky: #43 for girls · 150 births · 1 in 191 girlsKYWest Virginia: #42 for girls · 97 births · 1 in 195 girlsWVVirginia: #72 for girls · 84 births · 1 in 294 girlsVAMaryland: #137 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 684 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Jo, so not publishedDEArizona: #58 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 231 girlsAZNew Mexico: #91 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 326 girlsNMKansas: #53 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 237 girlsKSArkansas: #27 for girls · 122 births · 1 in 157 girlsARTennessee: #39 for girls · 166 births · 1 in 170 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #48 for girls · 166 births · 1 in 227 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #86 for girls · 64 births · 1 in 342 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #103 for girls · 15 births · 1 in 409 girlsDCOklahoma: #35 for girls · 130 births · 1 in 155 girlsOKLouisiana: #39 for girls · 128 births · 1 in 183 girlsLAMississippi: #65 for girls · 81 births · 1 in 279 girlsMSAlabama: #56 for girls · 120 births · 1 in 246 girlsALGeorgia: #55 for girls · 133 births · 1 in 239 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Jo, so not publishedHITexas: #27 for girls · 393 births · 1 in 153 girlsTXFlorida: #70 for girls · 48 births · 1 in 309 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Texas#27 · 1 in 153
  2. Arkansas#27 · 1 in 157
  3. Oklahoma#35 · 1 in 155
  4. Tennessee#39 · 1 in 170
  5. Louisiana#39 · 1 in 183

Best ever in a state: #16 in Texas, 1935.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Arkansas#271221 in 157
Texas#273931 in 153
Oklahoma#351301 in 155
Louisiana#391281 in 183
Tennessee#391661 in 170
West Virginia#42971 in 195
Kentucky#431501 in 191
Missouri#451361 in 206
Wyoming#45111 in 151
North Carolina#481661 in 227
Colorado#50431 in 211
Kansas#53521 in 237
Georgia#551331 in 239
Alabama#561201 in 246
Arizona#58211 in 231
Utah#58221 in 228
Washington#59431 in 269
Indiana#62891 in 302
Montana#62181 in 238
Mississippi#65811 in 279
Nebraska#65361 in 257
California#671691 in 295
Idaho#68161 in 267
Florida#70481 in 309
Iowa#71531 in 372
Ohio#721611 in 327
Virginia#72841 in 294
Oregon#78211 in 340
Illinois#841501 in 375
South Carolina#86641 in 342
New Mexico#91181 in 326
Michigan#93971 in 451
Wisconsin#102431 in 562
District of Columbia#103151 in 409
South Dakota#12381 in 590
Pennsylvania#1241151 in 652
Minnesota#128311 in 732
Maryland#137191 in 684
New York#162881 in 1,019
Massachusetts#164201 in 1,469
Connecticut#16881 in 1,331
North Dakota#18751 in 1,064
New Jersey#194181 in 1,435
Alaska———
Delaware———
Hawaii———
Maine———
Nevada———
New Hampshire———
Rhode Island———
Vermont———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Jo
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 232 spots since 2024 (#4,207 → #3,975)
  • 30 spots since 2020 (#4,005 → #3,975)
  • 1,006 spots since 2015 (#4,981 → #3,975)
  • Biggest jump: 404 spots in 1891 (#1,099 → #695)
  • Biggest drop: 541 spots in 1887 (#606 → #1,147)
Rise & fade · girls
66 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1881
  • Peaked 1947 at #51 (6,724 births)
  • Births halved by 1961, 14 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 26 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 26 yrs · run 1933–1958
  • Top 1,000: 100 yrs · run 1894–1985
Share of babies · girls
1 in 241
  • Highest: 1 in 241 girls born in 1954 were named Jo (0.41%)
  • Latest: 1 in 44,646 girls born in 2025 (0.00%)
  • Its best rank, #51 in 1947, was only 1 in 264 (0.38%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
Era · girls
The 1950s
  • 35.7% of all girls named Jo (63,939) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s69#606 (1886)#823
1890s140#695 (1891)#852
1900s311#546 (1908)#646
1910s1,192#437 (1919)#561
1920s6,896#140 (1929)#286
1930s28,653#70 (1939)#88
1940s48,449#51 (1947)#61
1950s63,939#53 (1954)#71
1960s20,197#134 (1960)#189
1970s5,918#272 (1970)#409
1980s1,985#540 (1980)#946
1990s609#1,716 (1990)#2,281
2000s223#4,280 (2002)#5,807
2010s246#3,739 (2018)#6,539
2020s230#3,386 (2023)#3,871

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Jo in 1940

girls
#72
3,427 births · 1 in 334 girls
boys
#1,397
23 births · 1 in 50,399 boys

Top girls' names in 1940

  1. #1Mary56,216
  2. #2Barbara36,736
  3. #3Patricia32,665
  4. #4Judith22,385
  5. #5Betty22,077
  6. #6Carol21,759
  7. #7Nancy19,737
  8. #8Linda18,370
  9. #9Shirley17,881
  10. #10Sandra16,153
  11. #72Jo3,427

Top boys' names in 1940

  1. #1James62,481
  2. #2Robert61,198
  3. #3John54,786
  4. #4William44,779
  5. #5Richard37,425
  6. #6Charles31,689
  7. #7David27,690
  8. #8Thomas23,991
  9. #9Donald23,115
  10. #10Ronald20,741
  11. #1,397Jo23
More about 1940

girls

1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 334 of them was named Jo, which outranked 98.6% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Jo
  1. #69Loretta3,502
  2. #70Rita3,442
  3. #71Roberta3,431
  4. #72Jo3,427
  5. #73Irene3,394
  6. #74Ellen3,318
  7. #75Arlene3,257
Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,494Scarlett#3,429 → #935
  2. ↑ 1,465Lonna#2,206 → #741
  3. ↑ 834Pam#1,797 → #963
  4. ↑ 659Jody#1,638 → #979
  5. ↑ 633Laraine#1,474 → #841
Fallers
  1. ↓ 481Fredia#996 → #1,477
  2. ↓ 430Eleanora#974 → #1,404
  3. ↓ 375Danielle#811 → #1,186
  4. ↓ 342Eloisa#930 → #1,272
  5. ↓ 298Coral#996 → #1,294

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 50,399 of them was named Jo, which outranked 64.5% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Jo
  1. #1,368Sarah24
  2. #1,368Wendall24
  3. #1,368Wheeler24
  4. #1,397Jo23
  5. #1,397Acie23
  6. #1,397Amado23
  7. #1,397Ann23
  8. #1,433Algie22
  9. #1,433Ansel22
  10. #1,433Anson22

Tied with 35 names at #1,397; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 565Whitney#1,458 → #893
  2. ↑ 447Gonzalo#1,297 → #850
  3. ↑ 419Weston#1,323 → #904
  4. ↑ 368Ashley#1,272 → #904
  5. ↑ 366Agustin#1,238 → #872
Fallers
  1. ↓ 886Montie#916 → #1,802
  2. ↓ 446Verlon#888 → #1,334
  3. ↓ 394Issac#857 → #1,251
  4. ↓ 392Otho#942 → #1,334
  5. ↓ 384Pearl#867 → #1,251

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1940 →