Jo is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Jo means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Jo across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Jo has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Jo is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “God will add”. A short form of Josephine or Joanne.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 180,911 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 292 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 133 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 73 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Jo per year, United States (1881 to 2025). United States peaked in 1954 (8,077/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (36/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1994 (10/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1973 (7/yr).
Jo has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1954, when it ranked #103 nationally (given to 8,077 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Joe · Jay · Joy · Joey · Joye · Joi · Jai · Gio
Not sure if it's the one? The best way to know is to see if your partner loves it too. Swipe baby names with your partner and match on the ones you both ❤️, free, no account needed to start.
Find your name together →