Jo
Girl name · #3979 in 2025 · Very rare
How old is the name Jo? In official American birth records, Jo has been tracked continuously since 1881, giving it 144 years of documented American history.
In 2025, 36 baby girls were named Jo, placing it at #3979 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #4981, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 50,000 girls born in 2025 was named Jo.
Babies named Jo per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 144-year story
Jo first appears in the Social Security records in 1881, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1954, when 8,052 girls were named Jo — good for #53 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Jo against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Jo in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Jo is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "very rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Jo will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Jo is most common
State-level data for Jo is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Nicknames & related forms of Jo
Jo belongs to the Josephine family — closely related nicknames and spellings of the same name.
Counted as one name, the Josephine family went to about 7,183 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #14, versus #3979 for Jo alone.
Names like Jo
Statistically, parents drawn to Jo tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Janet, Kim, Jeanne, Debra, and Vicky.
JanetKimJeanneDebraVickyJaniceKayLynn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Jo | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 36 | #3975 |
| 2024 | 34 | #4207 |
| 2023 | 47 | #3386 |
| 2022 | 36 | #4041 |
| 2021 | 42 | #3614 |
| 2020 | 35 | #4005 |
| 2019 | 34 | #4162 |
| 2018 | 40 | #3739 |
| 2017 | 40 | #3769 |
| 2016 | 34 | #4250 |
| 2015 | 27 | #4981 |
| 2014 | 18 | #6713 |
| 2013 | 15 | #7748 |
| 2012 | 18 | #6872 |
| 2011 | 14 | #8196 |
| 2010 | 6 | #14959 |
| 2009 | 18 | #7066 |
| 2008 | 17 | #7408 |
| 2007 | 18 | #7092 |
| 2006 | 25 | #5383 |
| 2005 | 17 | #6820 |
| 2004 | 18 | #6489 |
| 2003 | 29 | #4418 |
| 2002 | 29 | #4280 |
| 2001 | 28 | #4321 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Jo?
In official American birth records, the name Jo first appeared in 1881 (over 144 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Jo a popular girl name?
Jo ranked #3979 among girls in 2025 with 36 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #4981.
When was the name Jo most popular?
Jo peaked in 1954, when 8,052 American girls received the name (ranked #53 that year). Since 1954 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Jo?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 50,000 newborn American girls was named Jo. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "very rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.