Total births
179,057
Girls' name · since 1881
Jo
Since 1881, U.S. Social Security records show 179,057 babies named Jo, peaking in 1954. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #4210
- among girls today
- 179,057
- born since 1881
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other girls
Jo currently ranks #4210 among girls' names in America, with 179,057 babies recorded since 1881.
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Jo has been recorded 179,057 times among girls since 1881, currently ranked #4210 nationally and more common than 76% of girls, with its heaviest use in the 1950s. This profile covers year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution, all derived directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1881 to 2025.
- #4210 among girls today
- 179,057 born since 1881
- 1950s peak decade
- 76% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Jo is currently the #4210 girls' name in America, more common than 76% of girls - 179,057 born since 1881, peaking in the 1950s.
- #4210
- among girls today
- 179,057
- born since 1881
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 76%
- more common than other girls
Jo vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#4210
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 76% of names given to girls today.
1950s
Peak decade
36% of everyone ever named Jo was born in this single decade.
1954
Single peak year
8,052 babies were named Jo in 1954 - its busiest year on record.
How Jo compares
179,057 Top 1% higher than 99% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Jo's all-time total is 469x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Jo | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 179,057 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 8,052 | 48 | 19,840 |
Jo's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Jo splits its recorded history at 1954: 37% of all births land in the more recent half, 63% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 1881 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1954 peak of 8,052 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Jo at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1954
Current rank
#4,210
Active since
1881
Jo popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1881–2025
- Peak year (1954)
- 8,052
- Annual births at peak, across 145 years of records
Jo popularity over time - boys
1,854 total births recorded since 1911 (Jo as boys' name)
Jo by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was Jo's strongest decade.
63,939 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 36% of all-time use.
Jo births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 69
1880s
69 births
- 1890s 140
1890s
140 births
- 1900s 311
1900s
311 births
- 1910s 1,192
1910s
1,192 births
- 1920s 6,896
1920s
6,896 births
- 1930s
1930s
28,653 births
- 1940s
1940s
48,449 births
- 1950s
1950s
63,939 births
- 1960s 20,197
1960s
20,197 births
- 1970s 5,918
1970s
5,918 births
- 1980s 1,985
1980s
1,985 births
- 1990s 609
1990s
609 births
- 2000s 223
2000s
223 births
- 2010s 246
2010s
246 births
- 2020s 230
2020s
230 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 63,939 births (36% of all-time use).
How Jo compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Jo's total volume
Jo vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Jo by state
Where Jo concentrates geographically, total births since 1881
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Texas | | 19,389 | 10.8% |
| #2 | New York | | 12,229 | 6.8% |
| #3 | California | | 9,497 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Ohio | | 8,336 | 4.7% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 7,819 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Pennsylvania | | 7,267 | 4.1% |
| #7 | Tennessee | | 6,165 | 3.4% |
| #8 | North Carolina | | 6,152 | 3.4% |
Texas share of Jo's total US births 10.8%
Even split
19,389 of 179,057 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Jo appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Jo? ▼
Since 1881, Social Security records show 179,057 babies named Jo. Today it holds rank #4210 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1954, with 8,052 births.
When was Jo most popular? ▼
Jo was most popular in the 1950s decade with 63,939 total births. The single peak year was 1954.
Where is Jo most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Jo are Texas (19,389 births), New York (12,229 births), California (9,497 births).
How long has the name Jo been used? ▼
Jo has been recorded in Social Security data since 1881, spanning 145 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Jo? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Joyce, Joan, Josephine, Joanne, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Jo's data
- Jo's decade-level peak was the 1950s (63,939 total births); usage has since declined to 230 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Texas records the most Jos (19,389 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Texas names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Jo
Nearby Names Like Jo
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Jo
Joyce Girl
#1041 509,332 births
Joan Girl
#1240 481,238 births
Josephine Girl
#56 331,467 births
Joanne Girl
#2590 211,970 births
Joann Girl
#3051 156,892 births
Compare Jo side by side: Jo vs Joyce Jo vs Joan Jo vs Josephine
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Jo
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1881–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Jo: #4210 Girls' Name - 179,057 Births, Peak 1954." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/jo. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Jo draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.