Jo
Girl name · #3979 in 2025 · Uniqueness 76/100
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, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
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?
Jo scores 76 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. 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 sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
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
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. It scores 76/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.