Joao
How to say it: zhoo-OW · /ʒuˈɐ̃w/
Portuguese form of John, from Hebrew 'God is gracious' - common in Brazil and Portugal.
Joao was the 1,257th most popular boys’ name in the United States in 2025, given to 121 babies (Social Security Administration). The 2020s are its busiest decade so far, its births are up 2.7-fold in ten years, and it is projected to rise to #890 by 2030.
Updated · SSA 2025 data, published May 2026 · Insee 2025 data, published July 2026 · How we compute these figures
Key facts
| Rank among boys’ names, 2025 | #1,257 |
|---|---|
| Babies born in 2025 | 121 |
| Share of births | 1 in 27,399 |
| Peak decade | 2020s |
| Change over 10 years | ×2.7 |
| Projected rank for 2030 (estimate) | #890 |
| In France, 2025 | #598 among boys’ names, 60 births |
Sources: Social Security Administration (SSA), Insee (France). How we compute these figures.
Its life, decade by decade
Joao is climbing: the 2020s are already its best decade.
What goes with it
Nicknames
- Jo
Honouring a Joao in the family
In the classroom
In a class of 25 children born in 2025, the chance that another child is called Joao is about under 1 in 200.
Around the world
This spelling is used in English, French, Hebrew, Portuguese.
In France: #598 for boys in 2025.
Ireland: #449.
Famous people named Joao
- Joao Grimaldo (born 2003)Peruvian association football player
- Joao Rojas (born 1989)Ecuadorian footballer
- Joao Rodríguez ( pecho frío) (born 1996)Colombian association football player
From Wikidata and Wikipedia
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