How Many People Are Named Jo?
An estimated 98,101 people in the United States have the first name Jo. It is predominantly female (99.0%). The average bearer is 71 years old, and Jo peaked in popularity in 1954 with 8,077 births that year.
Below you will find a full statistical profile of Jo as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. You can also check how many people share the full name Jo paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While Jo is overwhelmingly female, 1,846 male births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- With an average bearer age of 71, Jo is a vintage name most associated with earlier generations. Most living bearers were born before 1965.
- Jo has fallen dramatically from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are less than 5% of what they were at the name's height.
Estimated Living Americans
98,101
About 1 in 3,494 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Uncommon
Predicted Gender
Female
99.0% confidence
Average Age
71
years old
Peak Year
1954
8,077 births
Total Registered
180,866
since 1880
Gender Distribution for Jo
Jo is predominantly female (99.0%), though 1,846 male births have been registered. It functions as a unisex name for a small percentage of bearers.
Jo as a male name
Ranked #7,449 in 2024
11 male births in 2024
Peak: 1960 (40 births)
Jo as a female name
Ranked #4,314 in 2024
33 female births in 2024
Peak: 1954 (8,052 births)
Jo in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 57,903 people with the first name Jo, which placed it at #818 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, Jo was recorded as predominantly female. Out of 57,903 people with this name in that snapshot, 5.3% were male and 94.7% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is female 99.0% of the time.
Census Count
57,903
people with this name
Census Rank
#818
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
19.17
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name Jo was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (82.88%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (7.44%) and Hispanic (4.46%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name Jo in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name Jo.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 82.88% | 47,987 |
| Black | 7.44% | 4,310 |
| Hispanic | 4.46% | 2,585 |
| Two or More Races | 2.49% | 1,444 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.89% | 1,097 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.82% | 473 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
Jo: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for Jo span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 64,225 babies were registered. Jo has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
Jo by Decade
How has Jo tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 69 | 0 | 69 | |
| 1890s | 140 | 0 | 140 | |
| 1900s | 311 | 0 | 311 | |
| 1910s | 1,266 | 74 | 1,192 | |
| 1920s | 7,061 | 165 | 6,896 | |
| 1930s | 28,931 | 278 | 28,653 | |
| 1940s | 48,722 | 273 | 48,449 | |
| 1950s | 64,225 | 284 | 63,941 | |
| 1960s | 20,401 | 206 | 20,195 | |
| 1970s | 6,094 | 176 | 5,918 | |
| 1980s | 2,138 | 153 | 1,985 | |
| 1990s | 686 | 77 | 609 | |
| 2000s | 303 | 80 | 223 | |
| 2010s | 298 | 52 | 246 | |
| 2020s | 221 | 28 | 193 | |
Jo by State
Birth registrations for Jo span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in Texas, New York, California. The lowest are in Alaska, Nevada, Vermont. On average, about 3,443 Jos were registered per state.
Jo + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with Jo as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to Jo
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
Jo: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jo?
We estimate approximately 98,101 people named Jo are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 3,494 Americans share this first name.
Is Jo a common name?
Jo is classified as "Uncommon" and is more popular than 99.5% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 180,866 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was Jo most popular?
Jo reached peak popularity in 1954, when 8,077 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named Jo is approximately 71 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
How common was Jo in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 57,903 people with the first name Jo. That placed it at #818 in the published Census first-name tables, or 19.17 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often Jo was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Jo?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, Jo was recorded as predominantly female. The published split was 5.3% male and 94.7% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Jo?
In the 2020 Census, the first name Jo was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (82.88%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (7.44%) and Hispanic (4.46%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
Is Jo a female name?
Jo is predominantly female. 99.0% of people with this name are female. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
Why can Jo have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. Jo peaked in 1954, and the average living bearer is about 71 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
How many Jo Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: Jo Smith, Jo Johnson, Jo Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
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