Where does the name Joe come from?

Joe is a boy name of Hebrew origin.

Is Joe a boy or a girl name?

Joe is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 2% of children given the name Joe are girls and 98% are boys.

How popular is the name Joe in 2023?

Joe ranks #909 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1936 with 8,266 babies.

How do you pronounce Joe?

Joe is pronounced JOH (1 syllable).

What are common spellings of Joe?

Joe is also written as Joey, Joseph, Jo.

A name from Hebrew · Boy

Joe

A short form of Joseph (Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add'), used independently for centuries. So embedded in American English that it functions as a generic stand-in — 'average Joe', 'cup of joe'.

Compare

Popularity over time

A 143-year arc in numbers.

452,753 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023.

Popularity · 1880–2023

256 births in 2023

1880 1951 2023

Babies named per year Peak year Most recent

Meaning

A name that means something.

JA short form of Joseph (Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add'), used independently for centuries. So embedded in American English that it functions as a generic stand-in — 'average Joe', 'cup of joe'.

Variants & spellings

3 ways to spell "Joe".

Each transliteration carries a slightly different cultural fingerprint.

Joey Most common Joseph Jo

Famous bearers

People who carry the name Joe.

J
Joe Biden (U.S. president)
J
Joe DiMaggio (Yankee Hall of Famer)
J
Joe Frazier (boxer)

Quick answers

People often ask about Joe.

What does the name Joe mean?: Joe means a short form of Joseph (Hebrew Yosef, 'he will add'), used independently for centuries. So embedded in American English that it functions as a generic stand-in — 'average Joe', 'cup of joe'.
Where does the name Joe come from?: Joe is a boy name of Hebrew origin.
Is Joe a boy or a girl name?: Joe is used for both. In U.S. Social Security records, about 2% of children given the name Joe are girls and 98% are boys.
How popular is the name Joe in 2023?: Joe ranks #909 for boys in the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 dataset. Its all-time U.S. peak was 1936 with 8,266 babies.
How do you pronounce Joe?: Joe is pronounced JOH (1 syllable).
What are common spellings of Joe?: Joe is also written as Joey, Joseph, Jo.

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Mary

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Girl ·Hebrew

Bitter; beloved; wished-for child

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About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.